Ancient Romans Had Healthier Gums

According to recent research, modern men and women have more gum disease than Romans did thousands of years ago. Certain aspects of our habits including type 2 diabetes, smoking and our diets and drinks are links to higher gum disease. The Romans did have more tooth abscesses and infections of the mouth than we do but brushing and flossing were unknown at the time. The research is the result of studying skills from 200-400 AD. “Researchers from King’s College London determined that only 5 percent of Romans suffered from gum disease while 30 percent of people today encounter that problem. Based on archaeological studies, the researchers concluded that the Roman lifestyle led to much healthier gums.” Source: http://dentistrytoday.com/todays-dental-news/10709-gum-health-may-have-gotten-worse-as-time-passed Picture credit: Eric Molina, Flicker https://www.flickr.com/photos/iamagenious/363783032/