The Extreme Sweet Tooth – Queen Elizabeth I

I was wondering what could I write about Halloween that was dentally horrifying. Anyway, during a patient’s regular check-up appointment we discussed past eras. “The good old days” were not really the “good old days”. There were no antibiotics, hygiene, modern medicine, no tetanus shots, fluoride, or even Google. In short, there was less knowledge. Then he mentioned that Queen Elizabeth I, who came to the English throne in 1558, cleaned her teeth with sugar and even honey.

Throughout history various items were viewed as status symbols for the powerful and rich, the more rare and expensive, the greater the status, and food was no exception. With the opening up of the New World of the Americas, sugar gained popularity. Sugar became a status ingredient as it needed to be imported. Before the more expensive sugar came on the scene, honey was used as a sweetening agent. So sugar was thought to have been one of Elizabeth’s favourite ingredients!

Thus the modern world’s addiction to sugar began. The court of Queen Elizabeth produced lavish deserts with mouldable sugar paste to look like savoury foods like bacon, walnuts and eggs. Ginger was another exotic ingredient and was used with sugar to make gingerbread.

Not only was sugar used in lavish deserts but also it was believed to have medicinal properties, including the cleaning of the teeth. So Elizabeth’s teeth didn’t stand a chance with the diet of desserts and the cleaning of the teeth with sugar. She also, for good measure, used honey to have another go at her decaying teeth!

A large percentage of her court, suffered for their love of sugar. In fact, we know that Elizabeth had to have a number of teeth removed at one stage because of their state. Many ambassadors to England commented on the Queen’s very yellow and even black teeth that were “unequal”.

Even with our greater “knowledge” of today, things have not changed for many people, in our supposedly modern society.

Next week: The Extreme Sweet Tooth – Today!