Oral hygiene in Portugal was, for a long time, less a "set of routines" and more a reflection of what was readily available, what was believed to work, and what the community passed down as common sense. Between the home, the pharmacy, and popular knowledge, teeth were cared for with simple gestures, sometimes surprisingly effective, other times merely symbolic.
It is worth looking at these ancient practices with respect. Not everything was correct in light of current knowledge, but there was creativity, observation, and a clear desire to avoid pain and preserve the ability to eat, work, and socialize.
Between home and work: what did "having good teeth" mean?
For centuries, "good teeth" meant, above all, functional teeth. Chewing without suffering had a direct impact on nutrition and energy for work, especially in a country with strong rural and maritime traditions.
Aesthetics existed, but were secondary. The focus was practical: avoiding bad breath, tolerating hard foods, withstanding the test of time. In many families, oral health was a private matter, dealt with at home only to the limit of what was tolerable. Only when the pain became unbearable was help sought, and that help didn't always come from a doctor.
The concept of prevention, as we understand it today, took time to take root. Even so, there were routines: rinsing, brushing teeth, dietary choices "to strengthen" teeth, and advice passed down from generation to generation.
Everyday materials and gestures
Daily care may have been rudimentary, but it wasn't nonexistent. Mechanical friction, even without a modern brush, removed some of the plaque and food debris. At home, readily available resources were used, often associated with general body hygiene.
Some practices had a social aspect: presenting oneself as "clean" included acceptable breath, especially in contexts of community proximity, fairs, churches, and collective work.
After discussing it with family or neighbors, the most common objects tended to be repeated:
- Linen or cotton cloths
- Sticks and wooden rods
- Fine ashes from the home
- Coarse salt
- Aromatic branches (mint, fennel)
The methods varied. Some people rubbed their teeth with a cloth dampened with salt, others used very fine ash as an abrasive, and still others preferred to chew aromatic plants to "freshen" their mouths. The goal was simple: to clean, relieve, mask odors, and gain comfort.
Home remedies and folk wisdom
The line between hygiene and treatment was blurred. A mouthwash could serve to "wash" the mouth, but also to soothe inflamed gums. Teas and infusions were part of the routine when there was pain, bleeding, or sores.
Not everything was as safe as it seemed, and some recipes could irritate tissues or wear down enamel. Still, many practices were based on recognizable principles: reducing inflammation, controlling infection, freshening breath, and decreasing sensitivity.
After a paragraph of advice, recipes with clear instructions would often follow, almost like a small ritual:
- Herbal infusions : gargling with chamomile, sage, or mallow to soothe gums.
- Salt and warm water : a simple solution to relieve discomfort and keep your mouth "clean".
- Brandy and alcohol : used by some as homemade "disinfectants," with a risk of irritation.
- Clove : chewed or applied as a way to relieve pain, due to its local anesthetic effect.
- Honey and herbs : a combination applied to wounds to promote healing.
These gestures reveal something important: even without clinical terminology, attention was paid to bodily signals. Pain, swelling, bleeding, and bad breath were indicators taken seriously.
When the dentist was a "tooth puller": professions, fears, and change.
For a long time, dentistry, as it exists today, was rare and concentrated. In many places, extraction was the frequent solution for a toothache. The "tooth puller," the barber, and other trades involving manual skills could assume this role, not always with ideal conditions of asepsis or pain control.
This helps explain why so many people delayed seeking help. The fear wasn't irrational: extraction could be traumatic, and the complications serious. At the same time, for those living with constant pain, extraction was an immediate liberation.
Modernization occurred in stages: improvement of instruments, greater dissemination of trained professionals, introduction of anesthesia techniques and, over time, more focus on tooth preservation.
Historical analysis becomes clearer when trends are compared across different eras:
| Period (approx.) | Most common response to pain | Prevention at home | Access to care |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17th and 18th centuries | Extraction when unavoidable | Friction with a cloth, herbs, mouthwash | Very limited and uneven |
| 19th century | More frequent extractions, the beginning of more technical practices in cities. | Salt, fine ashes, infusions | Growing up in urban centers |
| Beginning in the mid-20th century | Conservation is starting to gain ground, although extraction is still prevalent. | More frequent toothbrushes, toothpaste powders | Gradual expansion, still with barriers. |
| Late 20th century onwards | Conservative treatments, structured prevention | Fluoridated toothpaste and daily routine | Wider access and more available information |
The table doesn't tell the whole story, but it illustrates the central shift: moving away from a "solve the crisis" logic towards a culture of prevention and maintenance.
The influence of diet and sugar
The history of oral hygiene isn't written solely with toothbrushes and mouthwashes. It's also written with bread, vegetables, fruits, fish, sweets, and chewing habits. In periods when sugar was less accessible, dental exposure to certain risk factors was different. When the availability of sugary products increased, tooth decay gained ground, and the need for regular care became more evident.
Traditional diets, rich in less processed foods, required more prolonged chewing. This could have a mechanical self-cleaning effect, although it did not replace hygiene. At the same time, harsher diets and nutritional deficiencies also left their mark: wear and tear, fractures, and increased susceptibility to gum problems in contexts of weakened general health.
What's impressive is the practical consistency of the people: when they noticed that certain foods "made them worse," they tried to compensate with mouthwashes, aromatic herbs, or by reducing consumption whenever possible. It wasn't formal science, it was accumulated experience.
From school to the dentist's office: how modern oral hygiene became established.
With advances in public health, education, and communication, oral hygiene began to become a daily norm, not just a response to pain. The toothbrush became a common object, toothpastes evolved, fluoride became part of the conversation, and regular checkups gained the status of an investment in quality of life.
The change was also cultural: talking about teeth stopped being just about suffering. It became about well-being, smiles, confidence, and prevention. This point is crucial because oral hygiene is a cumulative habit: small, consistent actions over the years have a greater impact than intense, belated measures.
After years of family transmission, simple and repeated messages emerged, easy to teach and retain:
- Brush regularly
- Use toothpaste with fluoride.
- Preventive check-ups
Interestingly, the old logic underlies the modern one: avoid pain, preserve function, maintain comfort. What has changed is the effectiveness of the methods and the predictability of the results.
What history still teaches us.
Looking at old practices in Portugal is a reminder that oral hygiene was born from everyday life, not from a laboratory. People adapted to what they had, observed what worked, and shared solutions, even with limitations. There is a subtle inspiration in this persistence: health is built with continuity and attention to signs, more than with dramatic measures.
And there's also a practical lesson for the present: technology helps, professionals make a difference, but the fundamental principle remains simple. The mouth is part of the whole body, and treating it with daily care continues to be a direct way to invest in energy, comfort, and presence in the world.
