Tudor Dentistry

Queen Elizabeth I set all the trends at court – including her sugar-rotted teeth. Famous for her love of sugar and all things sweet, the queen’s blackened teeth became a beauty trend, with some people even going as far as to purposefully rot their own teeth to emulate the look.

In today’s society, we take pride in our presentation; the way we look, dress, and comb our hair are all intrinsically linked to beauty standards and social norms. “Pretty privilege,” a theory that favours those who are more attractive, often leading to greater success, is still evident. Today, we look to film stars and musicians to define our understanding of success, where notoriety is often linked to physical appearance.

A person’s smile, much like their eyes, reveals true intent and emotion. Happiness, sadness, and a multitude of other thoughts and feelings are conveyed through these expressions. Health and wellbeing also play a significant role. Intrinsic factors, such as one’s biology and genetics, influence resilience and predisposition to certain medical conditions, much like a person’s outward appearance.

It has been established that individuals with more pleasing smiles are perceived as more approachable and kindhearted. But how did we arrive at this perspective? In the Tudor period, the rise of sweet treats and sugar led to a new examination of dental health. In the sixteenth century, sugar was an expensive commodity imported from British territories in the Caribbean, making it an exclusive product for the aristocracy. King Henry VIII was known to have a sweet confectioner at Hampton Court Palace, and the decadence of sugar sculptures and banquet dishes showcased the King’s grandeur and wealth.

King Henry VIII
King Henry VIII

Despite the rise of sugar usage among the upper class, the narrative of Tudor health is often misconstrued and exaggerated. Much of our understanding is shaped by the lives of Tudor monarchs, particularly Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. However, these royal experiences do not reflect the reality of the broader population.

The popularity of sugar transformed culinary and dining practices, particularly in London, where housewives sought to emulate the aristocracy. In the seventeenth century, recipe books such as Hugh Plat’s Delights for Ladies (1602) encouraged sugar dishes for the masses as the product slowly became more accessible. At this time, the concept of nutritional needs was not well understood, and many people were at greater risk of health issues due to poor living conditions. Our understanding of health and malnutrition, particularly in the context of the Tudor period, is crucial.

Historians have long debated the roots of Tudor health problems. The plague and other forms of influenza led to widespread death in the sixteenth century. As a result, there were fewer people to work the land, which contributed to poor crop yields and further increased susceptibility to disease.

Surgical instruments of the 16th and 17th centuries. Source: Wellcome Images. Wikipedia. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
Surgical instruments of the 16th and 17th centuries. Source: Wellcome Images.

Tudor medicine typically involved herbal remedies, such as lavender and sage, to ease recurrent ailments like stomach pain or headaches. These remedies were considered “simple,” and most Tudor women knew how to prepare them. Sugar soon became an important ingredient in medicinal treatments and was believed to aid digestive distress. Other foods, like fruit, were considered harder to digest, and the aristocracy’s lack of fruit in their diets contributed to causing conditions like gout, from which Henry VIII himself suffered.

Dental hygiene practices of the time reveal medical curiosity similar to previous centuries. The lower classes used charcoal to brighten their teeth, and toothpicks made from wood or quills were also used, while cloths were used to wipe off plaque. Archaeological excavations show that the trend of rotten teeth was not universal. Before excessive sugar consumption, archaeological searches discovered that skeletal remains of both Anne Boleyn (Elizabeth I’s mother) and Mary Tudor (Henry VIII’s sister) both had perfect sets of teeth.

Queen Elizabeth I
Queen Elizabeth I

Today, as children, we are told that our teeth will rot if we don’t brush them. However, this did not diminish the appeal of sugar for the Tudors. Rotten and blackened teeth even became a beauty trend. Elizabeth I, one of the most famous sugar addicts of the period, was described by the German visitor Paul Hentzner as having “a face that is oblong, fair but wrinkled; her eyes small, yet black and pleasant; her nose a little hooked; her teeth black (a fault the English seem to suffer from because of their great use of sugar); she wore false teeth.” The queen’s blackened teeth became an ideal, and some people even rotted their own teeth to emulate this look.

Despite preconceived notions, it has been established that people did try to care for their teeth. Elizabeth I, for example, would rub honey and sugar paste over her teeth and gums using a rag. Of course, the health benefits of this practice were negligible, but it was a further demonstration of wealth and extravagance. By the time Elizabeth I reached her fifties, her teeth had become irreparably damaged, discoloured, and some had even fallen out. Many people also wore false teeth to give the illusion of good dental health. Tooth pulling was a common treatment; among those in the English Navy, this was often done without any form of pain relief.

Beauty standards in the Tudor period offer fascinating insights into life and culture. The things we value and the people we admire are influenced by internal beliefs about what is attractive and what is not. Our smiles expose us. To some, teeth reflect good health, while to others, the reverse is true. There is a story in every smile, a uniqueness passed down through history. The Tudors illustrate the shift from old to new treatments — before the discovery of antiseptics and after the use of bloodletting and leeches — providing an important insight into the process of progress.

Leah Williams-McIntosh is a London based historian from the West Midlands. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Winchester in 2021 and her master’s degree from the University of York in 2022. She is passionate about social and cultural history in the early modern period.

Published: 23rd January 2025.

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