In the Teeth of History: Dental Decay in the Longue Durée

Abstract

Today’s teeth are the product of many centuries of biocultural evolution. The increased consumption of starches from the Neolithic onward altered our dental ecology, creating an environment that favored the bacteria that cause dental caries. In more recent times, refined sugar turbocharged this trend, causing an epidemic of caries and tooth loss in industrial societies. Industrial-era caries spawned an industrial approach to dental health in the form of water fluoridation.