Dark History - 88: Poison in your mouth? Your teeth are toxic! | Dark History with Bailey Sarian

Episode Date: May 24, 2023

Welcome to the Dark History podcast. Did you know that grills, yes, for your teeth, have been around for thousands of years? Or that most fillings have mercury in them, even now? It turns out that the history of oral hygiene is full of crazy stories. Get ready for a mythical tooth worm, dental priests, and the mad hatter syndrome. This episode will have you racing to brush your teeth. Episode Advertisers Include: Béis, Stitch Fix, and Babble. Learn more during the podcast about special offers! 

The inspiration for today's episode came from my dentist's office. You see, I was sweating in that chair and I could not stop thinking to myself, bitch, this feels like modern day torture, doesn't it? Ah, and then, of course, I got to thinking, if it's this bad today, what was it like way back when in the olden days when they didn't have numbing creams and all of that? It must have been brutal, right? And boy, was I right. Today, we're gonna pull back the curtain on oral hygiene.

Back in the day, priests were dentists. Dentures came from dead soldiers. Cavities made people like lose their freaking minds. And on top of that, they believed that cavities, they were caused by a worm. Yeah, all right, here we go! Hello friends, I hope you're having a wonderful day today. My name is Bailey Sarian and I like to welcome you to my study and to my podcast Dark History. If you're new here, this is a chance to tell a story like it is and to share the history of stuff that

Many of us don't even think about right? So all you have to do is sit back relax and let's talk about that hot juicy history Gus So a couple months ago. I missed my dentist appointment. I know, I actually slept through my alarms and I completely missed it, but I wasn't really that mad, you know? I mean, sometimes I just don't wanna go. Who wants to go to the dentist?

You, will your psycho, you know? And then it's like, you have to go every six months. It's so invasive. Why are they so in my mouth? It's too much, okay? But when I finally dragged my ass in, my dentist was not happy with me. I was like, damn, what am I grounded?

Like, what are you gonna do? Beat me? I might like that, I don't know. Long story short, I guess I had a couple cavities. And then the dentist asked about my diet. And I said, first of all, maybe I did have a kick out for breakfast. Well, he didn't find that very funny.

And also, he's told me that not caring about your teeth can lead to some major health issues. And that alone, like, surprised me. I mean, when we think of the dentist, we think about flossing, brushing, mouthwash, the burns. You know, just trying to avoid cavities and bad breath, really. But apparently bad oral hygiene

can have ripple effects on the rest of our bodies. Ooh. Do-do-do-do-do. I don't know. So the dentists, they set me home with my bag, you know? It has all that free dentist stuff in there and I was all excited. I love that.

They give you the little mini toothpaste, the floss, a little toothbrush. A lot of you don't use it, but I'm all over that shit. It's like, fuck yeah. Saving money. Hello, that's me. Anyways, when I got home,

I was like, what did he mean? It could have long lasting health effects on me. You know, so I had it dig into this a little bit more. So I grabbed a bag of popcorn. Wondered if popcorn was bad for my teeth. So I googled that and it somehow led me down this big ol' rabbit hole. And I have to tell you what I was reading

about the history of teeth in oral hygiene, had me shooketh, shocked, snatched. What? There was a lot of that. So this story is gonna start with the girl named Apalonia. Yeah. Apalonia. And I was like, who is she?

I thought she's Prince's wife. No? I guess not. Let me tell you about her. Apalonia? Yeah. She was once just a sweet Christian girl just mining her own business in ancient Egypt around 240 AD.

Unfortunately, for Apalonia, you weren't allowed to be Christian in the two forties, especially not in Egypt. So she got rounded up along with a whole squad of other Christian virgins. Then somehow like a riot breaks out. And in the whole kerfuffle, Apollonia gets captured. They tell her to give up the whole Christianity thing, but she refuses. Well, this pissed them off, okay? And to punish her for following her heart and minding her own business, the mob decided to pull out her teeth. Now that's torture. Some accounts say that they shattered her teeth while they were still in her damn mouth. They start up a big ol' bonfire and they tell her if she doesn't convert to Catholicism, they're gonna have to throw her up a big ol' bonfire and they tell her if she doesn't convert

to Catholicism, they're gonna have to throw her in the big ol' fire. Well, Apollonia pretends like she's ready to change her mind just for a second. So they all back away, but she was faking it, okay? She was faking it. She's like, I'm not changing my religion. And then she leaps into the fire. It's not funny, but like kind of, because that's bad ass. She leaps into the fire and she martyrs herself. Power to Apollonia. Good for her. After her horrific death,

the Christian church names Apollonia a saint. Amazing, honest, I should really earn that. Instead of being named the saint of, I don't know, bravery, virgins, bonfires. Yeah, but it's not anything, right? They end up naming her the patron saint of toothaches. I know, pause for a letdown, really. Wow, it's just a little below the belt.

Considering how she died, but hey, right side, she's a saint. Good for her. And what this means is that for hundreds of years, if your mouth hurt, the best thing you could do was to pray to the saint of Apollonia because, unfortunately, for our ancestors, for as long as there have been teeth,

there have been cavities, right? But back before modern medicine and X-rays, the concept of a cavity didn't really, it didn't really exist. So if your tooth hurt back in the day, it was believed that you had caught a case of the tooth worm. Yeah, you heard me right.

The tooth worm? Tooth worm right here. Is it popping up if it is at home? That bitch. They believe there was a worm in your tooth. Well, hold on, let me not get ahead of myself, Bailey. Let me explain. The tooth worm was a mystical creature that pops up across multiple cultures over time,

starting in ancient Babylonia. Yeah, they thought it was a literal worm that had burrowed down into your gums and was making your tooth ache Let me tell you the photos of this mythical creature You know, it's just like thinking of a worm going into your tooth Praise Jesus, praise Jesus And you know and this wasn't just in one part of the world So if you found yourself with a case of the worm and praying to Apollonia to work,

there was only one thing left to do. Just yank out that tooth. Since this was a time before dentist, people had to get creative when it came to taking care of your teeth. And I love creativity. Some people, well, you know, they would go to the doctors, some to a blacksmith, or my personal favorite,

they would go to the church. Hmm. There's a lot of good in spring, but some are obviously more fun than others. Like spring cleaning, you know, it's not the greatest. I kind of love it, but you know, not ideal. But spring break, sun media, baby. Wherever you're headed, pack your bags and get ready to hit the road with base. Whether it's a music festival in the desert or a week at the beach, their luggage has you

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know? Multiple pairs of shoes, no problem. Jeans? Oh, I bring them all. I bring too many. And with base, I can do that wherever I go. Right now, bass is offering our listeners 15% off your first purchase by visiting basstravel.com slash dark history. Just go to basstravel.com slash dark history for 15% off your first purchase. That's bass B E I S travel.com slash dark history. Yeah. Oh yes, friends, the church was there for the people. And when people needed their teeth pulled,

you could rely on the Pope. Ugh. Just kidding. In ancient Rome, in particular, people would line up outside the church to have the priests pull their teeth out. Now, this may seem very random, right? But if you think about it, if you were religious at that time, which everybody was, you prayed to St. Apollonia for two thigs.

So all of oral hygiene was really just tied up with religion. On top of that, the closest thing to a saint was a priest, so that's who they trusted most, right? Well, if they had a toothache, they would march up to the church, open wide and let Father Diego yank that bad tooth out. Now, this was done with a tool that looks a lot like what we would call pliers, but you know, they didn't have like anesthesia or numbing or anything to just really help with the pain the people were about to encounter. They just straight up raw-docted, wild. Now let's say you were living in the middle ages and you had a toothache. Well, that would be the worst time to have a toothache because it sucked big time.

They didn't go to the church. They would have to wait until a fair or a festival came to town because that's where you would go to the, quote unquote, dentist. I know, I had questions. It only happened a couple times a year. At these fairs or festivals,

you could literally get more legit doctors and surgeons to look at your teeth. Instead of going to a random, I don't know, maybe drunk blacksmith, you know? Now at the fair, they had like experts there who were good at pulling teeth. So this was like the place to be

if you needed that done for you, you know? And plus it was kind of nice to be at the fair. So I'm sure that was a nice distraction from the pain, assumptions, I'm making them. You see back then, at the fair and whatnot, it was completely normal for a whole crowd of people to stop and watch while you're getting your tooth pulls out. I mean, it was live entertainment.

I'd probably watch. And apparently this was part of the allure for the victims who found it heartening. I guess I know, I was like, like why how come? I don't know I guess just having like a crowd of people around you cheering for you while you're getting your tooth holds was probably nice. Not so alone and scary you know. Well I mean I know many of us are like wow that sounds like a blast going to the dentist in front of a large crowd. Wow, that's all my to-do list.

I guess during this time though, people really started taking more active measures to make sure they kept their mouths clean. They didn't wanna be the next, you know, show at the fair, because we all know the fair is way more fun when you can walk around and eat a pickle instead of having some sweaty guy in a burlap sack chewin' on a greasy ass turkey leg in one hand and pulling out your rotting tooth with the other.

I'll take the pickle. Now, even though this was a method for getting a toothy-anked out, people had believed in the importance of oral hygiene for years. I mean, ever since 3,500 BC, when the ancient Babylonians started chewing on these sticks from a specific tree, which seemed to keep their mouths pretty fresh. I guess like sticks grew on this tree, and they found out that if they chewed all them and stuff, it would keep their mouths pretty clean. And the best way to put this is like, you know those sticks you give your dogs or cats that they like chew on and it cleans their teeth? Same shit, different era right here. I want to say smart. I want some of these trees in my yard. This is like, you know those ticks you give your dogs or cats that they chew on and it cleans their teeth?

Same shit, different era, right here. Honestly smart. I want some of these trees in my yard. Just chew on them and it makes your mouth fresh. That's so great. I guess that's why people call it the tooth brush tree. Yeah. Sounds like that's where the tooth fairy lives for sure.

And there was even an ancient version of toothpaste. Yeah, this was exciting to hear. You see Egyptians made it from vinegar and powdered stone, and the Romans had a version of their own made out of honey and crushed eggshells. What? Yep. That's why their teeth were so yellow and sticky, huh? Two very different recipes. Now, people weren't just going to the fair

to get their nasty teeth pulled out. If you were rich and you had enough cash to just throw away, you might even give your smile a little upgrade, a little drama, some decor. I'm talking about grills. Yeah, grills. Remember grills from the music? Come on, you know.

Grills, if you don't know, they are decorative covers made of diamonds or like other precious stones and metals that snap over your teeth. So when you smile, it's like, bitch has money, you know? Personally, I really thought that grills were like a newer invention, but they have been around for thousands of years, and this blew my mind. People have been bling out their mouths since the 7th century BC, in ways to just really show off their wealth, but also look like hot shit.

And the first people to wear what we today would call grills were actually worn by women and women alone. Tududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududud colleges found 20 sets of teeth that were connected with thick golden wires aka the first grill. And I know many of you are thinking, well why? Well, I don't know. I didn't have anything to do with health. Honestly, you just look cool to them. Like, this is why history is fascinating because they're just like us. So these women would march on down to the local goldsmith or blacksmith and have their front teeth hold out clean. Yeah, snatched right out of their mouth.

This was so that there would be enough room in their mouth to be fitted with a gold plate where their teeth used to be. Now again, this was like a huge status symbol because not only were you showing that you could afford to have your mouth filled with gold, but that you could also afford to have servants constantly cooking you soft foods,

like white bread, soup, dirt, I don't know. Rich people do the darnest things, don't they? These women, they would never be able to do things like biting to an apple again. So they would have to eat soft foods. And I guess that was just another flex. Many of us are just thinking that this is completely impractical, and honestly, I agree it really is.

It was just a cool beauty flex. It kind of reminds me of the Chinese custom of footbinding. It wasn't day-to-day practical, but culturally. It was a sign of beauty and wealth, and you know, many believe beauty is pain, baby. And stay tuned, because I'm definitely going to do an episode on foot binding. Oh, I went down another rabbit hole, but I won't get off track. Anyway, teeth, the ancient Mayans, they also had their own version of girls. But instead of gold, they used Jade, which they considered an extremely precious and rare stone.

Upper class Mayans would actually have holes carved into their front teeth, which, ow, they would have those holes filled with round pieces of jade. Honestly, I think it looks so cool. I would totally do it right now. I like them because you don't have to actually remove your teeth. They actually work with the teeth that you already have.

Great, love that I can still bite into an apple, but they also drill in this huge hole, which I can't imagine feels pleasant. And then they put the jade in there. I don't know how they make it stick, though, I was very curious about that. And so when he smiley, he see all these like precious gems.

It's just so, I think it's pretty. So again, this was just like a hot look at the time and a great way to make sure everyone knew you were wealthy. That's all that comes down to here on Dark History is rich people being rich fucks. You know, every time. It's never because of something fun. It's like, I'm rich, what can I do?

But this came to an end in the 1500s when the Spanish conquered the Mayans, which is a bummer because, well, because of a lot of reasons. The Spanish conquistadors who eventually took over that area actually considered decorating your teeth a quote barbaric practice I know it's like who do you guys think you are? He just came and like stole our land and shit and then you're gonna put us down like that It's been a long cold winter here in LA.

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their first fix at stitchfix.com slash dark history. That's stitchfix.com slash dark history for $20 off today. StitchFix.com slash dark history for $20 off today. Stitchfix.com slash dark history. At this time, quote, unquote dentists still did not exist yet as a profession. Instead, the people you would go to with your tooth problems were called barber surgeons.

I was like, oh God, where is this going? The exact same people that would give you a haircut, the barber, yeah, he would also yank out your teeth. So it was like a bogey. I mean, that that would give you a haircut, the barber. Yeah, he would also yank out your teeth. So it's like a bogey. I mean, that's like when you go to super cuts and you're like, Hey, can I get some highlights and already like they kind of don't know what they're doing. And then you're going to trust them to give you a root canal. Maybe not ideal. Honestly, things might not have changed at all in the world of dental hygiene. And we might all still be going to the fair

to get our T-Syang down, huh? If it had it been for one special French guy, Pierre Foschard. Honestly, his last name Foschard. Sounds kind of nasty. Like Pierre's a little freaky, I bet. I mean, you gotta be a little freaky to get into the dental game.

I've never met someone with a passion to like yank teeth out. And if I have, it's usually a serial killer I talk about on my Monday episode, so maybe this Pierre guy's a red flag. Oh, actually, he's not, but he could be. Right, Joan? Ah! Okay, great. Let's get back to the story, really. Pierre was only 15 when he started working in the Navy as a doctor, and he was trained by a surgeon that specialized in mouth, surgery, and diseases. Once he was back home, Pierre decided to put his all into dentistry and became the first ever surgical dentist. I mean, that's...

We could snap to that. Yeah! That's pretty wild, man. And his work he came up with like a crazy little theory that cavities were actually connected to eating too much sugar, and maybe not a worm living in your mouth. So in 1728, this puts an end to the tooth worm theory officially. RIP tooth worm, you will be missed.

This was a huge deal because this led Pierre to figure out that he could treat cavities instead of just yanking out the whole tooth. So really, we need to give an applause for Pierre because because of him, we get to keep our teeth. And that's major, I think. Not only that, but Pierre's work also led to all sorts of discoveries about dental hygiene. I mean, he found different diseases and he also invented braces. Pierre goes on to publish all of his findings in the first ever scientific book about dentistry in 1728 and this earns him the nickname the father of modern dentistry. I'm sorry to Pierre for calling you kind of creepy for being obsessed with

teeth. You did a lot for us but still you know like red flags. So Pierre creates this rock solid foundation for modern dentistry. And then another French man who was very inspired by Pierre's work picks up where he left off. Meet Dr. Auguste Tavou. Well, we, we, I wish I could do a French accent. You know, I was using Babble trying to learn French and I flopped. It was so hard. Anyway, Dr. Tavu would make a name for himself by filling a bunch of holes. He graduated school and became a dentist, and he took Dr. Pierre's work and just like ran with it. And this is how the Western world started to use fillings.

For most of us, fillings, you know, they've been around all of our lives, but back then, this was a huge deal. Before fillings, I mean, there was no other option. You either had to get your tooth yanked or just, uh, you know, let it sit, marinate, get all infected, maybe rotted, and uh, that was really it. That's all you got. Pick one. Now, these dental fillings were made out of a mixture, so they would get like dark metals, tin, gold, lead, and they would use this.

The lead was added because it made the other metals more flexible and easier to stuff into those cavity holes. But unfortunately, the lead... Yeah, it wasn't very sturdy, and then on top of that, it wasn't very sturdy. And then on top of that, it's very toxic. Yeah. So if something toxic like lead is in your mouth,

what do you think's gonna happen? You think that's gonna be good? Let me tell you, some people would get like lead poisoning. And when you get lead poisoning, it can include symptoms like neurological issues, like memory loss, like memory loss, mood disorders, slurred speech, loss of coordination, reduced sperm count, and even miscarriage.

So, in 1816, Dr. Tovou comes along and realizes that like, hey, you guys, maybe in lead, isn't the best way to do this. So he gets to reading and he's looking around to see what materials he has available. And that's when he comes across Quicksilver. Remember the brand at that Paxon Quicksilver? Yeah. Quicksilver is actually mercury. Yeah, the same silvery liquid you would see in old thermometers or the planet. I think they go together.

Well, okay, he's thinking, he's marinating, he's trying to come up with some ideas with this mercury product. He knew he couldn't just use mercury because when it's room temperature, it's a liquid. So like, right, that you can't just have a liquid, it's going to come right out. You get it. You're smart. Thank you. So he's excrashing his head, wondering, you know, what would be the best thing to mix this with? And he must have just had like some loose change or something in his pocket, maybe just laying around and he gets inspiration from this.

And he's like, hey, what if I take some of these silver coins, melt them down, mix it with mercury. And let's see what happens, you know? So the mix of silver, tin and mercury made this into the perfect filling. After it was set in place, I mean, it lasted a long time, but best of all, it was cheap to make.

Which means more people could get it put in their teeth, more people could keep their teeth, people could eat, people would be happy. Ta-da! Check, check, and check. Dr. Tavu to save the day! Well, this is dark history, so not so fast there. Get this. So he's this great inventor. He made this huge thing that changed everyone's lives, right? Well, then there was the other side of Dr. Tavu, where he was arrested for being a pedophile. Procent cons here.

You know what I mean? Shit, man. And the Paris police, they were like, yeah, we know. He's been doing that for a while. Mm-hmm. And, you know, they were just letting this predator walk around free, sticking his hands and people's mouths and in other places

maybe we don't know, but like, okay. Well anyway, uh, Dr. Tavu? Well, I guess he got syphilis. Yeah, and uh, we don't know when, where, how, but at some point he died, and that special recipe for his fillings, yeah. That was up for grabs. For anybody or anyone to take and make some money off of. But then, two criminals get their hands on Tovoo's filling recipe, and they brought it across the Atlantic and into New York City in 1833. Now they have the best last name ever. Watch, let me tell you. So these criminals, their names were Edwin Crocora. I'm not saying Crocora, I'm saying Crocora. That's just me, the whole show. Me seeing Crocora, Crocora.

Oh, sorry. Their names were Edwin Crocora in his nephew Moses. Now in town, they were known to like a bunch of different people as the Crocora brothers from England. They were technically like uncle nephew situation but they just went by the by the Crocora brothers. So I'm just gonna call them brothers okay. Now when they were living in the UK they saw that Dr. Tavuz fillings were a hit in Europe and they realized that America was an

untapped market. So the brothers, they took the filling recipe, they rebranded it and they gave it a new name. They called it the Royal Mineral Suxy Daynium. Royal Mineral Suxy Daynium. Royal Mineral Suxy Daynium. I think I nailed it, one of those. And if not, whatever whatever it's a filling okay

and they advertise their fillings everywhere in New York City. So they put like yeah ads everywhere and the ads essentially put out the message saying like why pay a fortune? Have your cavities plugged with gold? We can make it too. It's as good as new, cheaply, painlessly, and in just two minutes. Now that's how you sell a product, people. Two minutes, cheap, painless, what? I'm in. Now for those who are actually listening, pay attention. You probably realize that I never once referred to the brothers as dentists. That's because they were not dentists. They were professional con artists with basically no training in dentistry. But hey, this is America, baby.

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Language for life. Anyone and everyone with tooth problems in New York came pouring into their shops. The brothers fast, cheap fillings turned a profit right away. It was reported that in just 12 weeks they actually brought in about $60,000, which equals about like $2.1 million today in 12 weeks. Could you imagine? We need to get in on this, okay? What are we doing with ourselves? I don't know. Well, the local dentists, who for starters, were actual dentists, but they were still doing it the typical way, you know, where they're pounding like expensive gold and people's mollors for like two hours.

Well, these dentists, they actually saw their business drop big time. I mean, hello, if you're a customer, two minutes versus two hours, yeah, I'm going to go with the two minutes. I don't know about you. So the New York dentists are all getting together like, hmm, there's something's going on here. There's no way you're doing that in two minutes, sir. That's when they realize something. These brothers were probably using mercury as an ingredient. And that in itself was a very big problem. This is a little side note, but I found this fascinating. So back in the early 1800s, people started to notice that like, hat makers. Yes, hat makers. They were getting really, really sick, okay?

So some of these hat makers, they would get like the shakes. And then some of them would even develop behavioral problems like irritability or depression. Honestly, people were like, he's just a sad hat maker. You know, they didn't really think anything about it, but they were even like extreme cases where people would experience confusion, personality disorders, and memory loss. Just from making some hats, yeah.

Eventually, people figured out that these hat makers who also went by the name Hatters were suffering from what was called erathism. So erathism is like a brain disorder that comes from one place, maybe drum roll please. Mercury poisoning. What? Yeah. You see mercury? Mercury was used back then to make the felt of cloth for hats. And as hat makers would inhale the mercury vapors, it would cause them to lose their damn minds, not kidding. And this danger caught the attention of people in the American dental industry. And guess what? Guess what, baby. Sorry, I'm not doing much coffee today.

Ha, ha, ha, ha. Sorry. Okay. Anyways, so guess what this syndrome was known as? Like when the Hatters would get mercury and all that, I know you know. It became known as the Mad Hatter Syndrome. Alison Wonderland, the Mad Hatter? Hello!

He wasn't just like a weird-ass dude. He had forget mercury poisoning. It all makes sense, right? The older you get, the more and more Alison Wonderland makes sense. Hahaha. Fact. Anyway, by the 1830s, scientists start looking around and really start thinking, hey, you guys, wait a minute, the hat makers, they're all losing their minds, they're all

like spewing crazy riddles. I think we're on to a problem here, you guys. Well, they came up with a conclusion that maybe they shouldn't put mercury in hats, and it pretty much stopped. Mercury was pretty much known as a public enemy in the United States. It was considered poisonous and made people wonder like, hey, what else was Mercury being used for? And that's when we circle back, baby, because guess what? Guess what? The fillings. Oh, fuck. We're all fucking losing it, aren't we? Scientists quickly proved that mercury in those dental fillings could leak into the mouth and then get straight into the bloodstream. The American Society of Dental Surgeon said that anyone who used fillings made with mercury needed to be stopped.

Now, the dentists who were losing money to the Crocow brothers. That's so funny. I want that. Okay. So those dentists who were losing money to the Crocow brothers, they suspected that they were probably ignoring this anti-mercury movement because mercury fillings was such a profitable business for them, right? These dentists were like, you know what? I think that's what they're doing, but we need a way to like prove that they're doing this. So, these dentists, they decide to set up a little sting operation, which I absolutely love. They all looked around at one another

and they were like, hey, we need someone with jacked up teeth who needs a filling, which one of that is you. So, one dentist raises his hand, you know, and I was like, I'll do it. I have fucked up teeth. So this guy, the dentist, he agreed to go undercover and get a cavity filled by the brothers. So this undercover dentist, he goes in to see the brothers, right? He's like, my two thirds

owl and he ends up getting a filling. Thank you so much you guys, you're amazing. Waves goodbye, leaves, then heads straight to a chemist friend who then removed the filling and then ran some tests on it. Yeah, well guess what? The test results showed that this filling was riddled with mercury. And now, finally, like the dentist, they had proof, actual proof. So the dentist organized themselves and demanded that the New York police arrest these dangerous fake dentists They presented their findings to the police and agreed to go get the brothers

But by the time the police got to their shop, ooh, they must have gotten word because the brothers They had packed up and left. They were gone. I guess they ended up buying a couple of tickets on a ship and sailed Their ass is right back to England with those sweet mercury millions. And guess what? They were never arrested? Yeah. It turns out they were running from a lot of different charges, not just for the fake teeth, but by the time they skipped town in the 1830s, some dentists estimated that the brothers put their toxic fillings in the teeth of nearly half, half of the adults in New York. That's a lot. Yes, Bailey, it is.

And honestly, this is probably why New York, the New York people, I'm not coming for you, New York, love New York, but like sometimes the people are just a little different out there, you know, just a little, you know, you know, just a little... You know, maybe that's why. Well, around this time, dental colleges were being opened up and slowly but surely Dentistry was becoming less... violent, right? It took a while for modern-day dentistry to go mainstream in America and actually there were some super shading practices happening.

Hi, welcome to America. The mercury fillings were nothing compared to this. Unfortunately, getting like safe fillings, they can be more expensive, especially for the everyday person. And during this time, people were just having a really difficult time with their like, rotting teeth. Bad breath. I mean, shit was rough. Essentially, if you couldn't afford a filling, you got the tooth yanked out and you were just toothless.

So it's like, we went back to the beginning. At this time, they didn't have veneers or crowns or good implants, rich or poor. I mean, people had a hard time getting their hands on good teeth, on a good dentist, on good fillings. Around this time in the early 1800s there was a major military battle that went down in Europe. It was called the Battle of Waterloo. I think there's a song about Waterloo, but I'm not sure, let me know down below. This battle was important because about 50,000 people died during it, and a whole lot of people get a gross... But kind of brilliant idea! There were thousands of good human teeth sitting in the skulls of soldiers who had just been killed.

Now many are out there thinking like, hey, I don't think they need their teeth anymore! You know? Sense all those bodies were just like laying in one place above ground, it was kind of like a fray for all. Oh, Paul, please cover your ears because they're coming for you. I'm telling you, looters, locals, scavengers, they would show up with pliers

and just proceed to go from body to body, pulling the teeth out of the soldier's mouths one by one. They would just like put the teeth in their pockets and then they would go to local dentists and try and sell them. Now, these dentists would then glue these real teeth to some dentures and then sell a brand new set of chompers to people with the cash to pay for them. These became so popular that these dentures

got their own brand name. They were called the Waterloo Teeth. That's kind of like weird, huh? Having someone else's teeth in your mouth. But then people have other people's oracans. I mean, they should have asked the soldiers before they died. Yeah.

And because demand was so high for these things, a black market pops up for teeth. And this is when people turn their attention to cemeteries and grave robbing. So the people who would go dig up bodies and take the teeth from them became known as Resurrectionists, which is like sick band name. Resurrectionist. Now this might sound familiar because it kind of sounds like,

remember when we did the doctors riot episode? Remember they would like diggin' up bodies and like selling them to the colleges, doctors and shit. It's kind of like that, but with teeth. Well, I mean, the only difference here is that these people weren't snatching the bodies for medical research. These resurrectionists were just trying to sell teeth.

For example, in the mid-1800s, police in Ireland caught a guy named Thomas in possession of five bodies. I know this is an unmarried mystery, because when the police searched him, they found that his pockets were just loaded with human teeth. Like, what a freaking weirdo. Get a hobby, man. Boom! Back then, Thomas the Tooth Fairy

could sell a set of teeth for one pound, which today, like, equates to $123. And when you think about it, I mean, $123 feels kind of cheap for a fresh set of teeth. I mean, even if they are pre-owned. So, I don't need you and I, it sounds like, wow, we're so advanced now. It's nice that we don't have to have a black market for like human teeth or anything. Way to go, America. No, hold it. Don't even go there because guess what?

The black market for teeth is unfortunately alive and well. Human teeth often make their way into the hands of dental students in the United States because they need these teeth to practice dental procedures. And they do this because they don't want to put the health of real patients and their teeth at risk. And many of these schools they often don't have good alternative options. You know, this is like the best they can do, I guess. I don't know. Well, the biggest supplier of these teeth is India, with China coming in at a close second. Dealers in these countries get a hold of these teeth,

not just from grave-ropping, but also through taking advantage of poor and vulnerable communities. People hard-pressed for cash and are pressured into giving up some of their teeth so they can afford to feed their families, which is just really sad. Especially when you learn that the cost per tooth is usually like $10 or less. The Indian government even banned the export of human remains in 1985, because they couldn't be 100% sure that the people weren't being murdered for their teeth. Yeah, it's getting crazy over there.

I mean, it's just crazy to think, you know, but the black market for teeth is alive and well today, baby. But the legal toothbrush makes a ton of money as well. In 2022, people in the US spent over $176 billion on their teeth alone. Back when men were being recruited to fight in World War I, they had to have their health evaluated, you know? And by this time, people had already started to connect our overall health to our teeth. And when these doctors examined these men, I mean, they were shocked. One study found over 90% of them needed dental work, so dentists started to research how to add things to toothpaste, not just to keep your teeth clean, but to prevent them from

getting cavities. And guess what? My bum, they found something that every single one of us in America consumes every single day. Can you take a guess, baby? Flouride. Good guess. How'd you know?

You're so smart, look at you. Oh my god, did you go to college? You're so smart. Anyways, fluoride is a mineral that is released from rocks, soil, water, and even the air and nature. And when it's put in toothpaste, it creates a layer of protective coating on your teeth. And this is very helpful, not just so we can have like nice white teeth, but also because it stops bacteria from taking over your tooth

and like literally eating and destroying it, you know. And as the years went on, scientists studied this miracle mineral a little bit more and they found that especially with kids it was shown to reduce tooth decay by 25% now that was a lot back then I still think it's a lot now hey you throw a percentage at me I'm like wow that's a lot so people are thinking hey wouldn't it be amazing if we could like make sure everyone got this fluoride? Well, in 1945, Grand Rapids, Michigan, became the first town in the world to add fluoride to their tap water. This was for the purpose of, you know, more people having access to it for free. People from other states heard about the great results that the people of Grand Rapids were having with fluoride, and you know, they're like, hey, that that's working for you let's do the same thing so they're all joining in on it. Because more studies came out showing that fluoride decreased

the number of cavities in kids, the whole fluoride and water things spread to thousands of other towns and cities but because there's always a but. There are some real hot takes on fluoride. It's been a little bit more controversial. Some say it's like, people, it's just like tin foil hat. And then other people say like, it can cause bigger issues down the line, like bone problem, mental health issues, even cancer.

So let me not go on some kind of long tangent about nothing because at the end of the day we're all gonna die Oh, got dark real quick So there's a lot of people out there who like don't want it in our water or toothpaste But you know at the end of the day fluoride is and will be a big part of our modern-day teeth and oral hygiene. But here's my question. If our teeth are in so much better shape, why are we still spending hundreds of billions of dollars at the dentist? Why are teeth still struggling so hard? Well, the answer

is probably obvious. If you're a candy lover like me, it's quite painful. Because the reason our teeth are pretty shitty is because of sugar, not my sour gummy worms. Oh, you know, sugar is everywhere. We know the usual suspects, sweets, soda, fruit juice, cereal, just sprinkling sugar in your mouth. Like I do on Sundays. I don't know, it's good.

I love cereal. Oh my God. Oh my God, you guys on the count of three. Let's all like yell out our favorite cereals. Are you ready? Okay. One, two, deep fried Oreos. You guys, you just left me like that?

How embarrassing. I don't even want to know what your favorite cereal is anymore. Are you guys are bitches? Ha! Look, sometimes sugar. Ooh, she is sneaky. And she will pop up in all sorts of surprising places like bread. What?

Yeah, bread. Fast food. Well, of course. Pasta sauce. Low-fat yogurt. Granola. Condiments. You wanna really be shooketh to the core?

Go to your kitchen, grab your bottle of ketchup because I know you have it. Turn that bitch around, what you see. Look at the sugar. The amount of sugar might look low to you, but remember, that's per serving. And I don't know anyone who's eating one tablespoon of ketchup. If I'm

getting like a large fry from McDonald's I'm definitely gonna use a lot of ketchup. You know what I'm saying? Like come on. In a 20 ounce bottle of the leading brand of ketchup I don't want to get sued so I'll give you a hint. It rhymes with Heinz ketchup. You will find two thirds of a cup of sugar. That's almost a whole last cup of sugar friends in ketchup. Wow, no wonder everyone likes it, huh? So good. Now, back when George Washington was running the country

into the late 1700s, Americans ate about six pounds of sugar a year. And at first when I heard that, I was like, what, that's a lot. They're out of control. Six pounds of sugar? Uh-uh, not me, I'm not doing that. Well, then? That's a lot. They're out of control. Six pounds of sugar. Uh-uh, not me. I'm not doing that.

Well, then I got humbled real quick. Today, according to the American Heart Association, Americans eat 57 pounds of sugar each and every year. Huh? Huh? What? Excuse me? I need to hear. Did you say five, seven? Counts? Yeah, we're doing that. And it's not like we're all just chowing down on bags of gummy worms all day. I feel

targeted. I feel exposed because maybe I do. I mean, look, last night, I, you know, whole bag of sour gummy worms, okay? I couldn't help it. They're delicious. Well, this sugar intake number is so high because of all the foods out there that have sneaky sugar in it. I mean, you check your labels, it's everywhere, baby, it's coming for you.

Now, I wanted to go, you know, deep-dive into sugar and when it does for teeth, but, you know, I'm working on an episode for dark history about sugar. So I have to save it for that, okay? Thank you. But it makes sense that sugar, famously the enemy of teeth, isn't everything, right? It's one of the causes of why we're constantly having to find ways to protect our teeth. But we shouldn't just be concerned about our teeth and our teeth only, because there's so much more to our mouths.

You know, I'm about to drop some knowledge on you. Listen, in my research, I found out that people can suffer from all sorts of health complications from poor gum hygiene. And real talk, gum diseases have been linked to Alzheimer's. I know Alzheimer's. I know Alzheimer's is like a heartbreaking disease of the brain that assures memory and other important mental functions.

There was like a study done by Harvard Medical School in 2019 where scientists found that a certain type of bacteria can move from the mouth into the brain. Yeah. And then once it's there, that bacteria releases some enzymes that can lead to not just memory loss, but Alzheimer's and other diseases of the brain,

like dementia. Bitch, what? Yeah. Floss. That's why everyone's like, fucking floss. The researchers looked at the brains of dead people who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. And when they did, they ended up finding high levels of that oral bacteria The researchers looked at the brains of dead people who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's, and when they did, they ended up finding high levels of that oral bacteria in almost all of the brains.

And not only that, but gum disease has been linked directly to health issues like heart disease. I know, I hate flossing, but like my dentist even told me last appointment that flossing is way more important than brushing your teeth, which I was like, what? Huh? Like, I know. But I don't want to do it. But if they more tell me about brain diseases, now that I heard that, you best believe,

I'm flossing all the time. Okay, that was a lie. I still can't bring myself to floss all the time. What the hell's my problem? I don't know. Anyways, they say the eyes are to floss all the time. What the hell's my problem? I don't know. Anyways, they say the eyes are the window to the soul. And I guess our mouth is like the window to our brain. Maybe that's why mine is so filthy?

Well, my friends, that was a ride, wasn't it? I've learned a lot today, did you? Hmm, interesting. I'm surprised that's what you learned today. There was so much you choose from, and that's what you're going home with. All right, I do have going worms in my nightstand, okay? Whatever, leave me alone.

First of all, I'm so glad that we don't have to go to the church or, you know, a dusty ass fair to have our tea sinked out in front of a live audience. At least we have dentists around to tell us how to take care of our tea and rip us off while they're doing it. I mean the American Dental Association recommends brushing your teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste for at least two minutes. We think it's two minutes but really it's been like 30 seconds I always time myself. I'm like really two minutes is a long time when you brush

your teeth but whatever. I'm not dentist. I'm just complaining. Also you're supposed to clean between your teeth daily, so don't forget to floss, please. Also, if you can, go to the dentist for a checkup at least once a year, even if you don't have any like obvious issues. I don't know, maybe the next time you feel like skipping the dentist, we should just remember it's not just about our teeth. It's also about our brains. Yeah, that sounds cool. I would put that on a poster. So next time you're watching Judge Judy

until three in the morning, instead of grabbing that bag of sour gummy worms, how about you reach for the floss that you just put in your nightstand and you go at it, baby. Just floss those teeth. Keep your mouth busy that way. I've been trying to do that.

No, I haven't, I'm lying, but I want to impress you. Well, everyone, thank you so much for learning with me today. Remember, don't be afraid to ask questions to get the whole story because you deserve that. I'd love to hear your guys' reactions to today's story, so make sure to use the hashtag dark history over on social media so I can follow along. Also join me over on my YouTube where you can watch these episodes on Thursday after the podcast airs. And while you're there, you can also check out my murder mystery makeup.

I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day. You make good choices and I'll be talking to you next week. Goodbye. Dark History is an audio boom of original. This podcast is executive produced by Bayley Serian High, Junia McNillie from Three Arts, Kevin Grush, and Matt Enlowe from Maiden Network. A big thank you to our writers, Joey Scavuzo, Katy Burris, Allison Falobos, and me, Bayley Surion. Wr Katy Burris, Allison Floboz, and me, Bailey Surion. Writers assistant, Casey Colton.

Production lead, Brian Jaggers. Research provided by the Dark History Researcher team. Special thank you to our expert, Derek Boyd. And I'm your host, Bailey Sarion.