People Did Very Weird Things Before Modern Inventions Came Along

Let’s Count The Horrific Ways Teeth Would Get Cleaned

Photo Credit: JAAFAR ASHTIYEH/AFP/Getty Images

You already know that before the toothbrush was invented, one option was to scrape away the gunk with clay shards. There were a few other options as well. In China, people would poke their teeth with pig hairs. The Spanish would wash their mouth with their urine… Moving on.

The Elizabethans decided being lazy was the best option. They refused to brush their teeth and convinced their citizens that having black and decaying teeth was “fashionable.” We guess that’s one way to look at it, just not the right way.