In ancient times, how did people brush their teeth without a toothbrush? What about stubborn teeth?

"Toothache is not a disease, it hurts like hell." This sentence tells a truth well, that is, toothache is the most helpless chicken rib disease among many diseases. There is a simple reason. Although toothache will not affect our work, once it hurts, it really hurts. Therefore, modern people have always been concerned about the protection of teeth, and now dentists have become a mainstream industry.

Now, we have to brush our teeth every morning, and we also need to use all kinds of exquisite toothpaste toothbrushes, such as the so-called electric toothbrush. Anyway, now all kinds of advertisements are around toothbrushes, and all kinds of advertisements for protecting teeth are overwhelming. Therefore, modern people are very concerned about the protection of teeth, which can be seen as rising to the strategic level of life.

Seeing this, many people may also ask questions. Now people all know that teeth hurt badly, so we should protect our teeth. What was the attitude of the ancients? You know, there was no toothbrush and no electric technology in ancient society. How should they deal with the problem of protecting teeth?

Actually, don't underestimate the ancients. At that time, the ancients also invented a "toothbrush", which really protected teeth to a high level. What's going on here?

First, the origin of ancient people brushing their teeth

In fact, we really didn't underestimate the ancients. Their history of brushing teeth should have originated very early. At present, archaeologists believe that the earliest dental care can be traced back to the Warring States period.

Because people didn't have toothbrushes at that time, but they also knew the concept of teeth, so some people began to care for their teeth with various Chinese herbal medicines. Even in ancient times, there were some sentences. The ancients washed their teeth with Taomi water and washed their hair with Taomi water. It can be seen that the ancients have long paid attention to brushing their teeth.

Then the question is coming. Why did the ancients know how to maintain their teeth?

In fact, this has nothing to do with the emphasis on the day of the week in the Spring and Autumn Period. Because at that time, many scholars believed that the human body is a structure, and the body and skin are influenced by parents and should not be slightly damaged. Therefore, whether it is hair loss or tooth loss, it pays great attention to protection and collection. So at that time, people began to care about their teeth and began to care for them.

After all, China people are particular about burning incense, bathing and changing clothes to worship their ancestors. Uncleanness is disrespectful to their ancestors, so dental care has existed since ancient times.

So, since we already know how to care for teeth, how did it evolve in ancient society?

Second, the Han Dynasty became a habit.

Although in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, people already knew to protect their teeth and pay attention to neatness, in fact, we still had to form habits until the Han Dynasty. Because in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, they were nobles, so they had to clean their teeth, but they didn't pay so much attention to the bottom people.

It was in the Han Dynasty that the upper and lower classes really paid attention to brushing their teeth and caring for their teeth. To be precise, until the Eastern Han Dynasty.

According to historical records, there was an emphasis on brushing teeth in the Han Dynasty. According to historical records, people in the Han Dynasty brushed their teeth without teeth. They use salt water or spices, then dip them in water and rub their fingers in their mouths. This process seems a bit rough, but in the era without toothbrushes, teeth can be well protected.

Generally speaking, aristocrats use spices, while ordinary people use salt water, each with its own stress, but it has basically formed the habit of brushing teeth. Now that we have the habit of brushing our teeth, we will inevitably get rid of the shackles of our fingers and will soon usher in the era of toothbrushes. So how did the toothbrush come from? Then we have to talk about the transformation of the Song Dynasty.

Third, the appearance of toothbrush.

According to historical records, in the Song Dynasty, the original habit of brushing teeth by hand had been completely changed, and so-called "tooth branches" began to appear. You know this is unusual. It is the predecessor of a truly modern toothbrush. According to historians, this toothbrush is actually Yang Liuzhi's.

The nobles in Song Dynasty would directly change their fingers into Yang Liuzhi, then dip them in various spices and perfumes and rub them back and forth in their teeth. Although it is still a little rough, Yang Liuzhi's oral cleaning effect is very good. With these spices, it has been able to clean teeth and keep the mouth fresh.

As for the people at the bottom can't afford these things, they also have their own way, that is, directly put Yang Liuzhi in his mouth and chew it clean. This can not only ensure the freshness of the mouth, but also use these residues to remove impurities from the teeth.

However, since the prototype of toothbrush has appeared, it is bound to be preserved. According to historical records, the people at the bottom of the Song Dynasty knew how to preserve it in various ways, so the so-called dryness appeared, paving the way for the emergence of real toothbrushes later. All you need is a toothbrush bristle.

Fourth, the toothbrush officially appeared.

According to historical records, Yang Liuzhi, as the predecessor of toothbrush, appeared in the Northern Song Dynasty. By the Southern Song Dynasty, toothbrush had basically appeared. The so-called toothbrush actually uses the original Yang Liuzhi, and then inserts some ponytails and manes on it. Although the toothbrush made in this way was very rough, it was soon known that the structure of the toothbrush was changed in the Yuan Dynasty. According to the records at that time, toothbrushes have been divided into different types, including wood, bamboo and some projects. It can be said that the toothbrush has been formally formed, with what we are now, and it is more and more diversified. At this time, the toothbrush officially appeared. We all know that the toothbrush is coated with some kind of perfume or some kind of ointment to clean the tooth cavity. At that time, people's brushing behavior was basically the same as that of modern people. It can be said that the toothbrush has really taken shape at this time.

Five, the ancients for the health care of teeth.

Now that we have toothbrushes, how should the ancients face dental diseases?

In fact, we really didn't underestimate the ancients. Even toothbrushes can be invented, so we must pay attention to the care of our teeth. According to historical records, the earliest question about dental care should come from Zhang Zhongjing's Treatise on Febrile Diseases.

It is said that Zhang Zhongjing personally changed people's teeth. The process of changing teeth is not to really pull out a tooth and install another one, but to fill the vacant part of the tooth. However, about the process of filling teeth in those years, why can't people understand it all now, except that Zhang Zhongjing completed such an operation.

By the Southern Song Dynasty and even the Yuan Dynasty, ancient people had begun to know how to embed and protect teeth. If they are missing teeth, they can use bamboo chopsticks and all kinds of jade to fill them.

In addition, various factors are concerned about how to use drugs to protect teeth or avoid gum inflammation. It can be said that in ancient times, there was still deep concern about dental care. Even in the Song Dynasty, there was a special place for tooth extraction, where the most teeth were extracted and the pain was the least, which was a very distinctive sign at that time.

So the ancients didn't have to worry about dental diseases at all. There are specialized doctors who do research in this field. Don't be afraid of toothache, as long as you have money.

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After reading these historical records, I believe everyone has a clearer understanding of ancient people's brushing and tooth maintenance. For such a long time, it turns out that our ancients also had such developed technology. Although there is no current electric toothbrush and various dental equipment, we can still solve many dental problems with the wisdom of the ancients.

However, we can also see the cultural differences between China and the West. Westerners pay attention to speculation, but they don't pay much attention to hygiene, while China people always regard cleanliness as a very important thing. Because this is related to the connection between our ancestors and the culture of heaven and man, only by leading an honest and clean life can we communicate with God and worship our ancestors, which makes China people truly become the image of a spoiled child in the impression of people all over the world. So we can't help feeling that the ancients were really powerful, and we really should learn from them.