Crazy Things People Believe About Toothaches

HAVE A TOOTHACHE? Wear these fish bones around your neck, repeat a chant, and drop a few pears into the river!

Sounds ridiculous, right? But those are toothache remedies you’d hear during the Middle Ages! We know that we’re your orthodontic team, but we thought it would be fun to talk about some interesting dental superstitions from history.

Different “Cures” From Different Cultures

There are a lot of unusual methods for relieving toothaches we’ve gathered from various cultures (both ancient and modern) around the world. One common belief was that dental pain was caused by a “tooth worm” that had burrowed its way inside a tooth. To coax the worm out, people would inhale smoke, smear their teeth with honey, and swish with all kinds of disgusting rinses. Others include:

• Putting both stockings on one foot.
• Driving a horseshoe nail into your house’s front door lintel.
• Spitting out bread by an anthill, and as the ants carry it away the pain will leave.
• Complaining to a pear tree about your toothache.
• Vowing to never comb your hair on a Friday or shave on a Sunday.

Modern Myths About Orthodontics

Today, people still have a lot of misconceptions about teeth. One of those is that if you’re an adult, it’s too late for orthodontic treatment. That’s not at all true! We love treating adult patients in our practice. In fact, about 1 in 5 orthodontic patients is over age 18.

Another mistake is assuming that orthodontic treatment is simply about straight-looking teeth. Proper orthodontic treatment protects your teeth by correcting crowding and malocclusion. Uncorrected, these can lead to uneven wear, sensitivity, damage, and an increased risk for cavities down the road. Orthodontic treatment is an investment in the future of your healthy smile.

Trust Our Practice For Solutions

Our practice is focused on the latest treatments to create healthy and resilient smiles. A straight, balanced bite is the foundation of a healthy, comfortable smile. Thanks for trusting us to take good care of your beautiful smile!

We cherish our relationship with you as our valued patients and friends!

Top image by Flickr user U.S. Department of Agriculture used under Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 4.0 license. Image cropped and modified from original.