Typically, when we see celebrities, they have beautiful, straight teeth and gorgeous smiles! Don’t be deceived; most of them have had a lot of work done to get a perfect look. But it hasn’t always been so easy to obtain impeccable teeth. When we look throughout history, there are many famous leaders and aristocrats who suffered greatly from poor oral health, without modern day conveniences like veneers and cosmetic dentistry.
Take Queen Elizabeth 1, for example. She lived a life of luxury and glamour, in a castle, and yet, she was known, by the people, for her dark, discolored teeth. They were decaying and as a result, gave off a terrible smell. Apparently, Queen Elizabeth had a sweet tooth and enjoyed indulging in sugar, which was a new import during her reign. The wealthy of that time often had the worst teeth, because they were the only ones able to afford delicacies like cookies and treats! Today, the wealthy can have their cake and eat it too, so to speak. They can indulge AND benefit from whitening treatments and veneers at an attempt to cover up poor oral health.
Thanks to Queen Elizabeth, the connection was made between sugar consumption and tooth decay, leading to all sorts of amazing improvements in dentistry over the years. It just goes to show that our food and drink choices directly affect our oral (and overall) health. Luckily, we live in an era where finding and affording solid dental care is within reach!