Teeth in 1307: A Brief and Uncomfortable History
Medieval people had teeth. They also had opinions about those teeth, remedies for those teeth, and a surprisingly confident explanation for why those teeth hurt.
Most of it was wrong. Some of it was accidentally effective. None of it was pleasant.
Daily tooth care (such as it was)
There were no toothbrushes and no toothpaste. People rubbed teeth with cloth, chewed on herbs or sticks, or simply didn't bother.
Wealthier households used tooth powders made from crushed herbs, charcoal, salt, or ground shells — abrasive, sometimes scented, and more about freshening breath than protecting teeth.
Sugar was still expensive and rare, so medieval people had fewer cavities than you might expect. This was not because they were doing anything right. It was luck.
Teeth still wore down quickly. Infections were common. Abscesses appeared without warning and had nowhere good to go.
The Tooth Worm
Toothache was widely blamed on “tooth worms” — tiny creatures believed to burrow into teeth and cause pain.
This wasn’t a random belief. It was accepted medical knowledge for centuries.
Treatment involved holding hot herbs or oils in the mouth, applying poultices of garlic, onion, or vinegar, prayers, charms, and spoken incantations, and very often simply waiting and hoping.
One treatment involved fumigating the mouth with burning henbane seeds. The smoke produced worm-shaped ash, which was taken as proof the worms were leaving. Henbane also contains sedative compounds, which meant it occasionally, accidentally, eased the pain.
It was not safe. But it looked like it was working, which was enough.
When waiting didn't work
Extraction was performed by barber-surgeons, travelling tooth-pullers, or anyone with strong hands, the right tools, and sufficient confidence.
The tools included pliers, hooks, and occasionally fingers. There was no anaesthetic. There was possibly alcohol. There was prayer. There was mostly screaming.
Afterwards
Bleeding was expected. Infection was common. If an infection spread to the jaw or throat, it could be fatal.
Many people lived with chronic tooth pain for years, quietly adjusting everything around it — what they ate, how they slept, how they spoke.
The Parish Council of Middle Woe notes that this information is provided for historical interest only.