Strange dental remedies for toothache through history – from 'spider juice' to spuds

dailystar.co.uk:

Colgate Total reporting a soaring number of Brits suffering the painful affliction and other dental issues. And it’s no wonder – research has found we’ve let dental standards slip during the pandemic with one in five only brushing once a day and a quarter never flossing.These days we can just ring up the dentist when hit by an ache.

But there have been some wild and wacky dental remedies from history, as Nadine Linge reveals.Check out these unusual historical toothache cures and ask yourself “would I ever go this far?”The idea of “tooth worms” originated in Mesopotamia in 1800BC and persisted until the 18th century.

It was believed a small worm burrowed into your gnashers and caused pain. One “cure” involved smearing honey on an aching tooth to lure out the critter.In Scotland it was believed a caterpillar wrapped in red cloth and placed under the aching tooth could counteractthe pain caused by tooth worms.Ancient Egyptians wore amulets to prevent getting a pain and treated “gnawing of the blood in the tooth” with a concoction of onion, cake, dough and plant leaves, chewed for four days.Another Egyptian cure was to mash up dead mice with other ingredients to apply to the painful area.

For serious cases, individuals would whack on an entire dead mouse.The people of ancient Greece used donkey’s milk as a mouthwash to strengthen teeth and ward off pains.