Why Do I Have to Brush My Teeth?

TL;DR

Our primate ancestors didn't brush their teeth, but due to longer lifespans and changes in diet, humans must brush their teeth to prevent tooth decay.

Transcript

There's a certain set of humans in the world that hears the "Why do I have to brush my teeth?" question pretty much every evening. Right around, say 8 o'clock. Almost always posed by the offspring of that person. Usually under the age of 10. And in those instances, the answer almost always is "Because your mother and I told you to!" But one of our ... Read More

Key Insights

• 🦷 Most wild primates don't live long enough for tooth and gum disease to catch up with them.
• 😨 Captive apes and monkeys require regular dental care due to longer lifespans.
• 🦷 Human diets, dominated by starches and sugars, increase vulnerability to tooth decay.
• 🧑‍⚕️ Dental health is an important factor in human longevity.
• ❓ The bacteria that cause cavities thrive on the sugars found in modern human diets.
• 😋 Grains and cereal-based foods contribute to tooth decay in humans.
• 👣 Anthropologists study the occurrence of cavities to track the introduction of agriculture in different cultures.

Questions & Answers

Q: Why do our primate ancestors not suffer from tooth decay?

Most wild primates have much shorter lifespans than humans, so tooth and gum disease do not have time to develop.

Q: How does captivity affect tooth decay in apes and monkeys?

Captive apes and monkeys, living longer than their wild counterparts, are prone to tooth decay. Regular brushing is necessary for their dental health.

Q: Why do humans have to deal with tooth decay?

The introduction of agriculture around 12,000 years ago led to a diet dominated by starches and sugars. These sugars contribute to tooth decay as bacteria in our mouths feed on them.

Q: How can tooth decay be linked to the evolution of human culture?

Anthropologists can study the occurrence of cavities to determine when a culture began farming. The introduction of agriculture led to an increase in tooth decay due to a diet rich in starches and sugars.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Our primate ancestors didn't brush their teeth, yet they didn't suffer from tooth decay like humans do.

• Tooth decay became a problem with captive apes and monkeys, who live longer than their wild counterparts.

• The diet of humans, dominated by starches and sugars, increases vulnerability to tooth decay.