Dental disease, including cavities and gum disease, has impacted human populations for an extensive period. While modern dentistry offers treatments and prevention, these oral ailments stretch back into antiquity. Understanding this long history offers insights into how human lifestyles and diets have shaped our oral health.
Early Human Dental Health
Examining fossil and skeletal remains from early human ancestors and hunter-gatherer societies provides a window into prehistoric oral health. These ancient populations generally exhibited fewer severe dental issues. The prevalence of dental caries (tooth decay) and periodontal disease (gum infection) was comparatively low, largely attributed to their natural diets.
Archaeological studies reveal that the primary dental problems observed in early humans were often related to tooth wear from consuming tough, fibrous foods. While instances of dental caries or abscesses were less common, they were not entirely absent. Evidence of tooth decay in hunter-gatherers from Africa dates back approximately 15,000 to 13,200 years ago, even before agriculture. This early decay was linked to diets including starchy foods like acorns and pine nuts, which fed mouth bacteria that produce enamel-dissolving acids.
The Agricultural Revolution’s Impact
A significant shift in human diet occurred with the Agricultural Revolution, approximately 10,000 years ago. This transition from hunting and gathering to farming introduced domesticated grains like wheat, rice, and corn. These carbohydrate-rich foods dramatically altered the oral environment, leading to a notable increase in dental caries and other oral pathologies like periodontal disease.
The change in diet fostered an environment where oral bacteria, particularly Streptococcus mutans, thrived due to increased carbohydrates. These bacteria ferment sugars and starches, producing acids that demineralize tooth enamel and dentin, leading to cavities. Skeletal evidence from Neolithic farmers, compared to hunter-gatherers, shows a clear increase in both cavities and periodontal disease, indicating a major impact on the human oral ecosystem.
Dental Disease Through Civilizations and Modern Times
As human societies evolved into ancient civilizations, dental disease continued to progress, influenced by dietary changes and food processing techniques. In ancient civilizations like Egypt and Rome, early sugary and processed foods further impacted oral health. Archaeological findings indicate periodontal disease was prevalent in ancient Egyptians, with medical papyri detailing gingival disease and remedies for strengthening teeth and gums.
The Industrial Revolution, starting around the mid-19th century, marked another turning point with the widespread availability of refined sugars and processed foods. This era saw a further surge in dental problems, as the new diet favored the proliferation of cariogenic (cavity-causing) bacteria. The oral microbiota became significantly less diverse compared to historical populations, contributing to chronic oral diseases in modern lifestyles. Despite advancements in dental care and the introduction of antibiotics, which reduced severe outcomes from dental diseases by the mid-20th century, dental disease remains a persistent challenge today.