Do you remember hearing about the totally crazy way to pull teeth by tying a string around a loose tooth, connecting it to a doorknob, then slamming the door shut? Super ouch!!! So glad we don’t do this anymore!
This is a classic example of how humans used to pull teeth before dentists. Happily, this method is still far less brutal than many of the ways humans have removed loose, decayed, or unwanted teeth in the past.
The first American dental studies institution was the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery (now the University of Maryland School of Dentistry), which was chartered in 1840. Before that, dentistry was an unregulated field of medicine practiced by a loose collective of “apprentices” who may or may not have undergone much formal training.
According to the BBC, before the twentieth century, tooth extractions were commonly performed by inexperienced individuals—think barbers, wig-makers, and blacksmiths—using forceps or decidedly non-medical devices like house keys. The procedure was not only painful, but traumatic, often removing bone and gum tissue along with the offending tooth.
Makes you grateful for today’s sterile facilities, licensed practitioners, and modern anesthesia, no?
Read on for five more truly brutal ways humans have removed teeth.
1. The Pelican
So-called because it resembled a bird’s beak, this fourteenth-century “tooth puller” was designed and used by blacksmiths who had the tools and materials at hand to make their own instruments. The Pelican wasn’t super effective, and sometimes broke the tooth off at the root, leaving a sore stump behind.
2. Electrician’s Pliers
Dr. Anthony Abdalla, a dentist in Pasadena, recalls how his father, himself a dentist, used a pair of electrician’s pliers to remove his son’s loose baby teeth. Today, Dr. Abdalla recommends that his patients go the “sweeter” route of chewing on sticky candies—like Milk Duds, Jujubes, or Gummi Bears—to extract loose or decayed teeth.
3. Stones
Sometimes, people wish to remove teeth that aren’t loose or decayed! As recently as the 1970s in Hawaii, ethnographers documented tooth ablation (or the deliberate removal of one’s anterior teeth) performed as a sign of mourning the death of a loved one. Individuals would remove their front teeth by repeatedly striking them with a stone.
4. Vinegar
When consumed in moderation, apple cider vinegar can beneficially decrease plaque accumulation on the teeth as well as gingivitis, or gum disease. For this reason, vinegar was used as mouthwash by medieval people. Because any food or drink with a pH of less than 5.5 can erode tooth enamel, however, and most vinegars have a pH of 2-3—you should be careful not to over-expose your teeth to acidic vinegar. In Victorian times, people sometimes held vinegar in their mouths in an attempt to “dissolve” loose teeth!
5. Leeches
Well-known for their “blood-letting” properties, leeches have a long history of usage in both medicine and dentistry—a tradition called hirudotherapy. By sucking the blood from swollen gums, leeches reduce inflammation, thought to make tooth extraction easier. Fun fact: Because leech saliva is antibacterial in nature, this method may even reduce the risk of associated infections!
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Okay, enough about acids and rocks to the face. Now that you’re feeling totally cringey, make yourself feel better by reading my (hopefully) mellow and inspiring children’s picture book about the tooth fairy: UNDER MY PILLOW.
