Ancient Britons had less gum disease than modern-day British folk, according to a new study by King's College London.
Skulls from between 200 and 400 A.D. at the Natural History Museum were studied by a periodontist from the college, who determined that modern vices such as smoking damage teeth and gums. The skulls were excavated from the Poundbury burial ground in Dorset. Of the 303 skulls, only 5 percent showed signs of gum disease, while gum disease today afflicts 15 to 30 percent of British mouths.
Periodontis (gum disease) is an inflammation due to plaque build-up, according to the study. Tobacco smoking and diabetes exacerbate the problem and those suffering can lose teeth.
The Roman-British teeth were not perfect pearly whites, according to the study published in the British Dental Journal. There were signs of tooth decay and excessive wear (most likely from the coarse grains eaten at the time).
"We were very struck by the finding that severe gum disease appeared to be much less common in the Roman British population than in modern humans, despite the fact that they did not use toothbrushes or visit dentists as we do today," said Francis Hughes, professor at the Dental Institute at King's College London and lead author of the study, according to King's College London. "Gum disease has been found in our ancestors, including in mummified remains in Egypt, and was alluded to in writings by the Babylonians, Assyrians and Sumerians as well as the early Chinese."
Researchers are hoping that the decline in tobacco smokers will improve oral health. "This study shows a major deterioration in oral health between Roman times and modern England," co-author from the Natural History Museum, Theya Molleson, said, according to King's College London. "By underlining the probable role of smoking, especially in determining the susceptibility to progressive periodontitis in modern populations, there is a real sign that the disease can be avoided. As smoking declines in the population we should see a decline in the prevalence of the disease."
