Cavemen lived during the Paleolithic era, also known as the Old Stone Age, which spanned from around 2.6 million years ago to around 10,000 years ago. During this time, cavemen were hunter-gatherers who had not yet developed agriculture or permanent settlements. As such, cavemen had to survive on the resources they could find in nature, including plants, animals, and minerals. This impacted their diet, lifestyle, and health in many ways compared to modern humans. When it comes to dental care, cavemen certainly did not have access to modern conveniences like toothbrushes, toothpaste, dental floss, and professional cleanings. However, archaeological evidence shows that they did practice some basic forms of dental care.
What did cavemen eat?
The caveman diet was very different from modern diets. Without agriculture, cavemen ate what they could hunt and gather. Their diet consisted mainly of:
- Meat from wild game like deer, bison, and mammoths
- Fish
- Eggs
- Nuts, seeds, fruits, and wild vegetables
- Honey
This hunter-gatherer diet was much lower in carbohydrates than modern diets. There was no sugar, bread, pasta, rice, or processed foods. The foods cavemen ate were raw, uncooked, and unprocessed. Their diets likely had:
- High protein
- High fiber
- Low sugar
- Healthy fats
- Vitamins and minerals from wild plants
How did their diet affect dental health?
The caveman diet was overall less harmful to teeth than modern diets for a few reasons:
- Low in sugary foods: With no refined sugar or sugar additions, caveman diets protected teeth from decay.
- Natural fibrous foods: Chewing coarse, fibrous meats and plants cleaned teeth naturally.
- Unprocessed foods: Uncooked, unprocessed foods did not stick to and coat teeth.
- High mineral content: Game, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds, and plants provided minerals for strong tooth enamel.
However, caveman diets did pose some dental risks:
- High acidity: Some wild berries and fruit were quite acidic, potentially eroding tooth enamel over time.
- Gritty foods: Grit on foods from the earth could potentially wear down tooth surfaces.
- Bacteria: Eating raw meat and fish exposed teeth to more bacteria that could cause tooth decay or gum disease.
Overall though, the caveman diet protected teeth well compared to modern diets high in sugar and refined carbs.
Dental Hygiene Practices
While cavemen did not have modern dental products, archaeological evidence indicates they did practice some basic dental hygiene habits:
Toothpicks
Cavemen made toothpicks from thin twigs or bone fragments to clean between teeth after eating. The first toothpicks archaeologists found date back to between 2.6 – 1.8 million years ago. Toothpick grooves have also been found in fossil teeth dating back over 1 million years.
Primitive toothbrushes
Cavemen would use frayed ends of twigs as crude toothbrushes. They would also chew on certain twigs until they became brush-like to clean their teeth. Early toothbrushes made from bone and animal bristles have been found dating back to 3000 BC.
Saltwater rinses
There is some evidence that Paleolithic people rinsed their mouths with salt water for dental health, similar to modern saltwater rinses. Seaside cave sites reveal they harvested salt by evaporating seawater. They likely swished this saltwater in their mouths to clean their teeth.
Anti-cavity compounds
Early civilizations used various natural compounds that had anti-cavity effects to clean teeth:
- Egyptians used iron oxide powder to polish teeth around 5000 BC.
- Indians chewed sticks from the neem tree as toothbrushes as early as 1600 BC. The neem tree has antiseptic compounds.
- The Chinese used fresh water mollusks to clean teeth as the shells contain calcium carbonate.
- Mayans used chicle resin from the sapodilla tree to make a primitive chewing gum that helped clean teeth as early as 900 AD.
Cavemen likely used similar naturally-available anti-cavity substances for primitive oral hygiene and tooth cleaning.
Impact of Caveman Lifestyle on Teeth
Beyond diet and dental care practices, certain aspects of the caveman lifestyle also impacted their dental health.
Wear on teeth from use as tools
Cavemen used their teeth as tools for tearing, gripping, and holding objects. Analysis of fossil teeth shows significant wear, cracks, and chips from such use. Using teeth heavily as tools caused them to wear down faster.
| Activity | Effect on Teeth |
|---|---|
| Tearing meat off bones | Cracks and chips in enamel from impact on bones |
| Softening hides for clothing | Wear on incisors and canines from pulling hides |
| Holding skins while cutting with tools | Wear and staining on front teeth from gripping hides |
Missing teeth from trauma and accidents
Cavemen faced much higher risk of physical trauma that could knock out teeth. Dangerous hunting activities or violent encounters with predators or other cavemen could result in teeth being lost. Without modern dental repair options, missing teeth were simply left unreplaced.
Bone and joint wear from tough diet
The hard, fibrous diet cavemen ate caused excessive wear on their teeth as well as jaw joints and bones. Analysis of ancient skulls and bones shows conditions like:
- Arthritis in the jaw joints
- Overdeveloped jaw muscles
- Deterioration of joints between skull and jaw bones
This wear could misalign teeth, making tooth decay and damage more likely.
Genetic dental flaws passed on
Cavemen with genetic anomalies that caused dental defects would pass these genes on over generations. Without dental treatment options, genetic dental flaws would persist through breeding in caveman populations.
Botched primitive dental procedures
Primitive dental techniques like removing teeth or drilling cavities sometimes caused more harm than good. For example:
- Removing teeth improperly could fracture the jawbone or leave bone splinters behind.
- Primitive cavities filled with materials like tar could leak and cause abscesses or infection.
- Jagged drill bits could damage surrounding teeth.
Botched procedures could accelerate dental problems.
Examples of Caveman Dental Health
Fossil evidence provides examples of the dental health conditions and problems cavemen faced:
Neanderthals
– Neanderthals from around 65,000 years ago show very worn teeth, likely from using them as tools. The teeth have chipped edges, enamel loss, cavities, and heavy tartar buildup.
– Microscopic scratches on the teeth indicate they used toothpicks and other objects to try to clean their teeth.
– Teeth were often lost early, likely due to trauma, accidents, and the unvaried coarse diet.
Paleolithic humans
– Paleolithic human skulls from 30,000 years ago show signs of advanced periodontal disease – receding gums, inflammation, and bone loss around teeth.
– Teeth were worn down flat with pulps exposed from heavy use and gritty diet. Dental abscesses were common when pulp became exposed.
– Lower jaws often have extra bones and growths from persistent dental infections and inflammation.
Neolithic humans
– Higher carb consumption as agriculture spread caused more cavities and tooth decay in Neolithic people starting 10,000 years ago.
– Enamel defects like hypoplasia became more common, indicating malnutrition or starvation during childhood.
– Porous lesions on teeth emerged, potentially caused by plant fiber processing or consuming tar from burning wood.
Conclusion
In summary, cavemen certainly did not enjoy the benefits of modern dentistry. However, archaeological evidence shows they practiced basic dental hygiene and their natural diets protected their teeth well. While cavemen faced risks like dental trauma, infections, tooth wear and loss, and physical deformities, oral health issues from consuming processed and sugary foods were far less common than today. Practicing more natural dental habits like their diets and usage of herbal tooth cleaning compounds could benefit our oral health today.