Shakespeare's Dentist Dentistry in Shakespeare's time was a very crude and disgusting art. Teeth were ruined by the efforts to keep them clean. They were rubbed with a mixture of powdered pumice stone, brick and coral. This not only took off the stain, but took off the enamel as well. Other ways to clean teeth were to rinse them with a solution of honey and burnt salt, sugar and honey, or a quart of vinegar and honey and half a quart of white wine boiled together. Going to the dentist could cost you your life. People died of blood loss and pain due to the instruments that they used. These included pliers, keys with claws -- this dislocated the tooth from the socket--, pelicans -- these dragged the tooth out sideways--, and an instrument that pulled out the roots. Bad breath was treated with water and vinegar, then chewing masticke and washing the mouth out with a solution of Annis seeds, mints, and cloves sodden in wine. Also, by placing roasted turnip parings behind a person's ear, you could rid him or her of bad breath. During this time, fillings were also used. The most common materials were gold leaf, molten lead, or silver scrapings. But usually if the tooth was bad, it was just removed and "replaced" with a healthy one from someone else. The "someone else" was a poor person needing money. The dentist would pull one tooth after another to see which one would fit his patient's mouth. When the human supply of teeth went down, the teeth of sheep, dogs, goats and baboons were used. If these supplies went down, teeth from dead people and soldiers were used. Eventually, false teeth were used. These were made from hippopotamus bones, walrus ivory, silver, mother-of pearl, enameled copper attached to an ivory base, porcelain plaster, or vulcanite and celluloid, which was extremely flammable. Questions -- answer in complete sentences. 1. Why did attempting to clean one's teeth usually destroy them? 2. Why could going to the dentist cost you your life? 3. What were the two most horrible tools used on teeth? 4. If you were poor, how could you make money in the false teeth business? 5. Name the two most awful places to get false teeth? Why? 6. Why could smoking be dangerous if you had false teeth? THE ASSIGNMENT Write a paragraph on someone's first trip to the dentist. Include why he or she went and what happened. Be descriptive. If you feel creative, you might want to write as if you were the patient at an Elizabethan dentist. AND Write or draw and ad for a dentist or a dental care formula that could have been posted in Shakespeare's day.