The practice of intentionally denting teeth has existed in many different cultures around the world for centuries. Black teeth are considered a sign of beauty, social status, maturity and even health. Rambler will tell you how teeth are tattooed in different cultures and why.
Teeth blackening is done consciously and systematically: there are recipes, rituals, age regulations and social restrictions. In some societies this custom is mandatory for women, in others it is voluntary but socially encouraged.
Japan
The best documented method of blackening teeth is the Japanese custom of ohaguro, which existed from the 8th to the late 19th century. Women dyed their teeth black with a solution made from iron filings, vinegar and herbal ingredients. The resulting composition reacts with the enamel and forms a durable dark coating.
Initially, ohaguro was practiced at the court and among the aristocracy, then spread to the samurai class and urban populations. For married women, blackening their teeth was considered a social sign: it symbolized fidelity to their husband and the end of the period of seeking marriage. Girls without black teeth are considered immature or in their teens.
In addition to aesthetics, this custom also has practical significance. Research by Japanese dentists in the 20th century showed that the ohaguro preparation really reduces the risk of tooth decay and protects tooth enamel from destruction. Iron salts create a film on the tooth surface, partially blocking the growth of bacteria.
Why do Vietnamese people drink cobra blood?
The abandonment of ohaguro began during the Meiji Restoration, when Japan began focusing on Western appearance standards. In the 1870s, the practice was officially banned for government employees and quickly disappeared.
Southeast Asia
The custom of blackening teeth is popular in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and the Philippines. Here, black teeth are associated with marriage, maturity and social acceptance. This procedure is usually performed during adolescence and is accompanied by initiation rituals.
In traditional regional beliefs, white teeth are considered a sign of animality. They are compared to the fangs of predators and are associated with savagery. On the contrary, black teeth symbolize bodily control, discipline, and belonging to human society.
In some communities, it is believed that dark teeth make speech clearer and breath less bad. Vegetable dyes, resins, decoctions from leaves and bark were used. The procedure can be repeated regularly to maintain the color.
Colonial governments in the 19th and 20th centuries actively fought against this custom, seeing it as a sign of backwardness. As a result, by the mid-20th century, this custom almost disappeared, remaining only in certain ethnic groups.
Europe
In Europe, teeth are not stained with a solution, usually sugar. In the 16th and 17th centuries in Western Europe, white teeth were associated with poverty and peasant origins. And cavities in teeth are fashionable. The reason is simple: sugar is an expensive product, mainly for the nobility, and regular consumption of sugar will cause the destruction of tooth enamel and darken teeth.
In England, at the court of Elizabeth I, dark teeth became a kind of status symbol. There are documents mentioning that some courtiers deliberately blackened their teeth so as not to look inferior to the queen. Since they had no money to buy sugar, soot, powder made from charcoal, and herbal mixtures were used.
Russia and Eastern Europe
In Russia and Eastern Europe, teeth blackening is often a consequence of lifestyle, but sometimes it is conscious. Drinking strong tea, herbal infusions, tar and ash leads to prolonged darkening of tooth enamel. In folk medicine, it is believed that dark teeth are stronger and less susceptible to “caries”, that is, tooth decay.
In some areas, women even deliberately brush their teeth with ash or charcoal because they consider this a way to prevent disease. Although such methods have a weak antiseptic effect, they also accelerate tooth enamel wear. It is important to note that the lack of snow-white teeth was not considered an aesthetic problem until the late 19th century, when Western ideas about hygiene and appearance finally became fashionable.
The modern perception of white teeth as a universal aesthetic standard is a relatively late phenomenon, formed only in the 19th-20th centuries. So today, on the contrary, we are doing everything we can to make our teeth whiter. With the development of dentistry, the advent of toothbrushes and toothpaste, white teeth became a symbol of cleanliness, youth and the ability to control the body. What was once considered beautiful and appropriate began to be seen as a sign of backwardness.
We said it before Why do Germans eat raw minced meat?.
