Teeth In The Past

In ancient Egypt,"Opening the Mouth" was a very important funerary rite. They believed the mummy would have an afterlife and this would allow the mummy to eat, drink, speak, and move. A priest would wear a mask of Anubis and hold the sarcophagus (coffin) upright. Behind the grieving mother and daughter, priests would scatter purified water and touch the mouth of the mummy case with ritual instruments. The eldest son would burn incense and a spell would be recited.

In prehistoric times, many animals had amazing teeth. The saber tooth tiger used its 6-inch-long canines to bite its prey. Mammoths, mastodons, and elephants had huge tusks that curved downward. Dinosaurs had amazing teeth, too! From the worn teeth of plant eating dinosaurs, to the sharp carnivorous dinosaurs' teeth, Scientists can tell, just from the teeth, whether the dinosaur was a herbivore, omnivore, or carnivore. The teeth of the Tyrannosaurus were saw edged and were up to seven inches long! Dinosaurs had some of the most amazing teeth!

Apes are the closest animals to being humans. Ape bodies were and still are very much like ours, including teeth! They had hard teeth and strong jaw bones that have been preserved over millions of years. Even baby teeth! Apes sure have some interesting teeth!

Have you ever wondered how people cleaned their teeth before the toothbrush was invented? In 1400 A.D., toothbrushes in China, using wild boar neck-hairs as bristles, were invented. In 5000 B.C., ancient Egyptians used twig toothbrushes made by smashing one end of a stick. In the 1600's, many people in Europe "mopped" their teeth with rags ties to sticks and dipped in salt. In 1780, William Addis of England made the first modern toothbrush with cow hairs and a bone handle. In the 1920's, toothbrush handles made of a plastic called celluloid replaced bones. In 1938, the first nylon bristles provided an alternative to using animal hair. Thank goodness!