20 Nov When in Rome
The general mainstream thought process is that society has slowly improved and progressed throughout human history. However, discoveries regarding our ancestry occasionally will throw a wrench in that linear thought process. A study out of King’s College London has unveiled that only 5 percent of ancient Romans suffered with gum disease, compared to 30 percent of people today. Based on these archaeological studies, it was concluded that the lifestyles of these ancient people actually led to much healthier gums. The study was conducted by examining 300 skulls that were dated between 200 and 400 AD of people estimated to be 20-40 years old.
It does make some sense though. The main culprits of gum disease such as smoking, type 2 diabetes, and excessive unhealthy food and drink mostly did not exist for the people of the time. However, dental issues were still a problem. Abscesses and infections were still common. The results are still surprising though, as one in three people today will suffer from major gum disease, which is significantly higher than the Romans.
So at least in one regard, here at Prescott Dentistry we strive to “Do as the Romans Do” and help in preventing gum disease for our patients. Through the preventative methods of Biomimetic Dentistry, our state of the art technology, oral surgery, and more, you can count on the doctors and staff at Prescott Dentistry to treat you right! Contact us for more information on our methods and services.
Image used under creative commons license – commercial use (11/18/2014) Moyan Brenn (Flickr)