Perhaps due to only drinking water, and consuming the proper diet, in the region in which they were adapted.
Why didn't our ancient ancestors get cavities?
21–30 of 207 posts
Re: Why didn't our ancient ancestors get cavities?
#22That’s easy. Sugar.
It's not just sugar - any carbohydrate which a bacterium can easily metabolize to sugar (i.e. most of them) is a hazard. Grains, tubers, etc. are all dangerous from a dental perspective and have only been consumed in calorically significant quantities after the advent of agriculture.
Re: Why didn't our ancient ancestors get cavities?
#23They didn’t eat Cadbury cream eggs and drink extra large sodas.
True but irrelevant. Cavities begin showing up in the historical record several millennia before the advent of candy and soda.
Many fruits are quite sugary, and some people probably lived in areas where they could consume fruits regularly. Also, as another commenter stated, non-sugar carbohydrates can also pose risks.
Re: Why didn't our ancient ancestors get cavities?
#24Like to add to this conversation that scientists have found ways to prevent cavities but these are not made available to us. For example, genetically modified streptococcus.
Re: Why didn't our ancient ancestors get cavities?
#25Earlier quoted context omitted.
True but irrelevant. Cavities begin showing up in the historical record several millennia before the advent of candy and soda.
If nothing else, dogs and cats get cavities and they're not eating a gallon of coke or a bucket of M&Ms...
Most dogs and cats are on a super unnatural carb-heavy diet. (The same could be said about humans depending on your definition of "natural".)
Re: Why didn't our ancient ancestors get cavities?
#26> We have very few teeth from this period in Africa. We don’t know if this is unusual or not, Alternative view, cavities were common and the teeth were removed / fell out.
The question should be "where are the missing teeth?, and why?
Wouldn't they be scattered? Pluck rotten tooth, toss...years later die and leave a big collection of bones, while the little tooth just erodes away?
Re: Why didn't our ancient ancestors get cavities?
#27Alcohol.
Re: Why didn't our ancient ancestors get cavities?
#28[deleted]
Re: Why didn't our ancient ancestors get cavities?
#29Like to add to this conversation that scientists have found ways to prevent cavities but these are not made available to us. For example, genetically modified streptococcus.
Cool. Got a link on that?
Re: Why didn't our ancient ancestors get cavities?
#30Earlier quoted context omitted.
That is something apparently so obvious, but I was pretty surprised when I first read it. Honestly grew up thinking everyone died at 30 in the past.
The other weird thing is how skewed it was by sex. Men might have a life expectancy of 50 while for women it was 30.
Death during childbirth.