Teeth Whitening in Medieval Times in Chair-side Teeth Whitening

If you thought it was only Hollywood stars who used teeth whitening, London and medieval England were in fact leap years ahead.

When you think about medieval England, it's hard not to imagine the people of that time with stumpy, blackened teeth. The last thing you'd expect is teeth whitening - London in medieval times was a pit of smells, disease and poverty. But research shows that although in general teeth may have been poorly cared for, some people in medieval times had much better care. And judging by the NHS today, not that much has changed!

London's Past

Like any luxury or quality service, dentistry was reserved for the elite in medieval times. You wouldn't expect the masses to have the opportunity for basic dental care, let alone cosmetic teeth whitening - London's elite however knew the importance of keeping teeth clean, filling cavities and dealing with facial fractures. Documents reveal that this elite recognised oral cancer and bizarrely, knew the rudiments of teeth whitening - London's British Dental Journal revealed that during the 12th - 14th century, there are papers that document creating false teeth.

London's secret

Teeth can tell a lot about society and osteo-archeologists are fascinated with what they can teach us about history. The notion that there was an elite group of surgeons and physicians investigating dentistry and teeth whitening in London's medieval times provide an insight into how dentistry has advanced. Documents show that these elite physicians had liquids used for teeth whitening, methods to remove plaque and compounds for filling cavities.

London's Top Physicians

Like anything, money buys the best care, and in medieval times if the rich wanted teeth whitening, London's best physicians could help. The irony is the richer a person was during the time, the more sugar they had in their diet, hence more decay. The rest of the population had less sugary diets and it is thought used local barbers, blacksmiths, friends and traditional remedies to treat any dental problems.

Traditional methods included:

• Herbs were thought to be used for oral cancer - a lotion made from wine, honey and the roots of the herb mullein, honeysuckle, pomegranate and ginger were used.
• The plant henbane was heated with leek seeds over hot coals and inhaled by a patient suffering from tooth ache.
• Teeth whitening used the herb elecampane to scrub the teeth with sage leaves and salt.

Perhaps when the Brits are mocked and stereotyped for their bad teeth, they can point to the evidence that shows they were pioneers in oral care and even dental cosmetics such as teeth whitening in London's medieval times.

The Mermaid Dental Clinic offers a full range of dental services including teeth whitening; London-based the clinic offers the latest technology for painless and superior results. Situated in the West End, the specialist dental staff are trained and equipped to treat every aspect of your dental needs with professionalism and expertise. You can make an appointment by calling 0207 580 1001.

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