Regarding teeth -
Had a neat article from one of the Inuit elders who spoke about how before western goods became readily available, they never had issues with their teeth that we'd consider common or normal today. Why? Most of what they ate didn't contain a lot of sugar or other refined products that help the bad bacteria breed in your mouth to create cavities and such.
That said, soap isn't the only way people have kept themselves clean. Sweat lodge and a scraper; I've also seen references to using sand as an abrasive to get the worst off. Oil and a scraper, too.
I mean guys, when you think about the stereotypes about gross city living way back when, keep in mind that ideas about hygiene historically have sometimes included notions that washing with water spread diseases. Too, there's a big difference between city living and living in the bush. What's considered proper social etiquette regarding hygiene also affects how "clean" someone might be, as well as cultural notions of what constitutes "clean."
Had a neat article from one of the Inuit elders who spoke about how before western goods became readily available, they never had issues with their teeth that we'd consider common or normal today. Why? Most of what they ate didn't contain a lot of sugar or other refined products that help the bad bacteria breed in your mouth to create cavities and such.
That said, soap isn't the only way people have kept themselves clean. Sweat lodge and a scraper; I've also seen references to using sand as an abrasive to get the worst off. Oil and a scraper, too.
I mean guys, when you think about the stereotypes about gross city living way back when, keep in mind that ideas about hygiene historically have sometimes included notions that washing with water spread diseases. Too, there's a big difference between city living and living in the bush. What's considered proper social etiquette regarding hygiene also affects how "clean" someone might be, as well as cultural notions of what constitutes "clean."
