h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Just reading something on TV Tropes how people in the 'old times' (or in different places and cultures) did/do not conform to today's standards of beauty. It mentions there that people in the old days did not have toothpaste or toothbrushes, but because sugary sweets were not part of the daily diet this didn't matter so much.

Well ... I don't know what the situation was in Europe. Over here in South Africa the peoples who lived prior to the arrival of the 'civilized' Europeans most definitely did brush their teeth. For toothpaste they would use ash or some preparations from specific plants, and for toothbrushes they would use twigs of certain trees. When the ends of these twigs are chewed they would become a mass of stiff fibres. This was used for brushing the teeth. The folks here were brushing their teeth for centuries in this manner before European folks arrived with toothbrushes and toothpaste.

How true, Willem! Thanks for enlightening people.

A Somalian we knew in Germany used to say, 'I miss toothbrush trees here.' We thought that was a cool feature to have.

Now, the Aztecs had chewing gum...

Not only that there is nothing great about the interpretation of beauty that we are *sold*