by Lady Emily
It doesn’t take a genius to figure it out. First a whitish sort of residue begins to form on the teeth. Then that residue hardens. And on people like that, the teeth soon begin to rot and ache and eventually, to fall out.
It was probably pretty early on in our history when we noticed those effects, and since that time we’ve developed various methods of keeping that residue off.
In most provinces, this consists of either rubbing, brushing, or using tooth cream.
Rubbing is probably the most popular of methods. A coarse cloth is simply used to rub the teeth to a polish, and a thin string is used to thread between each tooth.
More well-to-do folks will often use a brushing method, utilizing a tiny bristle-brush which can more easily reach into the narrows between the teeth. Such brushes are often immensely ornate, and crafted of fine woods, horn, or metals. The bristles of such treasures must often be replaced by a ‘bristler’, who will carefully remove each worn bristle and replace it with a new one. Personages who can afford brushes will usually use silken thread, finer and stronger, to thread between the teeth.
And both methods are usually enhanced with the use of a tooth cream. Enter any salon or alchemist’s shoppe and you’ll find tooth cream for sale, along with various oils for flavouring.
The recipe for the cream is a carefully guarded secret, but it is known that finely crushed shells are a part of its making. This adds to the abrasive power of the other methods. Cream is sold in a small clay jar, and a few drops of oil or extractive are added to impart the cream with a scent and flavour which will linger in the mouth. A variety of such flavourings are used, with some of the most popular being rose, anise, orange, strawberry, vanilla, apple, mints, violet, and ginger. The cream is rubbed over the teeth, and then the teeth are rubbed or brushed.
Of course, today, where powerful healing is available, rotted teeth can easily be restored, which has made caring for one’s teeth more of an issue of cleanliness and propriety than anything else. Indeed, the social mores regarding clean teeth are so strong that most people would rather see shabby clothes or dirt-smeared skin.
Freshness of the teeth and crispness of breath are considered among the most basic aspects of personal hygiene.