Oral hygiene in the Roman world?

[Gladius Hispaniensis]

Ave

Here comes one of my droll queries: How did people maintain oral hygiene in the Roman world. Heck, how did they maintain it in the Classical world at all?

Now I do know that the Arabs used olive twigs as tooth brushes, a habit that can be seen to this day especially in rural areas, but what about the rest of the known world?

Thanks for any information in advance.

[spittle]

In the documentary 'The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire', (The Julius Caesar episode) G J C said that Cato

"Brushed his teeth with urine..."

 

I hope this helps.

[Melvadius]

You may find this link to a document on the British Dental Association site of interest as it discusses this very topic:

 

http://www.bda.org/museum/docs/background%...on%20Romans.pdf

 

Unfortunately it doesn't give precise 'book' references but from other information I have, concerning Pliny's frog potion, it does appear to be correctly quoting the original author.

 

I have also been told that Galen suggested using liquorice root for cleaning teeth and several sites seem to have it as a constituent part of Roman toothpaste.

 

[Found a bit more info]

Edited December 11, 2007 by Melvadius

[M. Porcius Cato]

In the documentary 'The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire', (The Julius Caesar episode) G J C said that Cato

"Brushed his teeth with urine..."

 

My god, these documentaries will say anything! It was Catullus who made the oral hygiene comment about Egnatius, as any Latin student should remember:

 

39. Your Teeth! : to Egnatius

 

Egnatius, because he has snow-white teeth,

smiles all the time. If you

[Lost_Warrior]

I have heard that charcoal was used to brush one's teeth. I don't know if that's true for Rome or not, but I believe it was done in the tropics.

[Gaius Octavius]

LW might remember that there was a thread in which this subject came up, and might have a link. She gave it a big "eeeew".

 

Anyway, look here:

 

http://www.harpercollins.com.au/drstephenjuan/0507news.htm

 

Google "Roman Toothpaste".

Edited December 11, 2007 by Gaius Octavius

[Gladius Hispaniensis]

I have heard that charcoal was used to brush one's teeth. I don't know if that's true for Rome or not, but I believe it was done in the tropics.

Charcoal still is used in some rural parts of India.