Tooth be Told: Truth behind early tooth rituals and traditions

Dental modification, rituals, and traditions once practiced by our ancestors carried not only aesthetic value but also deep cultural, spiritual, and social meanings.

Some of these rituals signified reaching adulthood while others were used to indicate a certain social status. A few represented beauty aspirations, spiritual beliefs, and religious affiliations.

Some historical accounts note that the Mayans of Central America were known for dental modifications.

They would sharpen and shape their teeth, sometimes decorate them with precious metals like jade or gold, to signify a certain status or special qualities.

“In some parts of Africa, early tribes also practiced certain tooth rituals and traditions, such as tooth sharpening, as a rite of passage into adulthood. For example, some early tribes in Tanzania and Mozambique would chisel their teeth. Sharp teeth for them were considered attractive and presentable,” says Mita, a university professor.

“Here in Southeast Asia, the Mentawai people of Indonesia also practiced tooth sharpening as a mark of beauty. In pre-colonial Philippines, tooth sharpening and blackening were common among several ethnic groups.

The tradition was also associated with beauty, with the teeth often filed to fine points. In today’s modern era, tooth sharpening has mostly fallen out of practice, as traditional cultures blend into the global mainstream.

However, it is still observed in some indigenous communities as part of their cultural identity,” she tells Thai PBS World.

Often misunderstood

According to Mita, the Mentawai tradition of scraping or sharpening teeth was a unique and painful process.

“This often misunderstood tradition was practiced for aesthetic and beauty purposes. They believed that it helped enhance a woman’s beauty. The ritual was also practiced to mark a young girl’s transition into womanhood,” she explains, adding that the tradition of scraping or sharpening teeth was “a painful process as no anesthesia was involved and the tools, which included a sharp piece of metal or wood with sharpened edges, were crude.”

Yet another interesting custom is the ritual of tooth blackening or tooth lacquering still practiced by tribal groups in some parts of Vietnam.

“In Vietnam, the chemical ingredients used to blacken the teeth can take several forms, although many tourists believe that it results from chewing betel nut, which isn’t entirely true,” says Trang, a tour guide.

What is commonly used by these people to blacken their teeth is a type of red resin obtained from the secretion of tiny insects that suck the sap of a particular tree.

“The resin is mixed with lemon juice or rice wine, and then stored in a dark place for several days before applying it to the teeth. An application of iron, that is mostly derived from iron nails or copper from green or black alum and other ingredients, reacts with the solution and gives it a blue-black color when applied,” he explains

In other parts of Southeast Asia, coconut husk are burned to form a black sticky char that is then combined with iron nail filings.

“It is easy to spot the difference between blackened teeth and those stained by chewing betel nut because the betel nut gives the teeth a dark red-brown color. The constant chewing and spitting is also another sign of blackened teeth due to betel-nut chewing,” hinted Trang.

Photo: Betel nuts

Tooth blackening is an ancient custom of the Vietnamese people that dates back many centuries. According to tradition, black teeth were the standard of beauty, not only for women but also for men. It was not only popular among ordinary people but also among nobles and royalty.

“But when the French came to Vietnam, they did not appreciate the blackened teeth and the practiced was soon discouraged. After that, the numbers decreased. Today, however, some traditional people in Vietnam are once again trying to revive this almost lost tradition,” he says

“Similar procedures of tooth blackening and filing were also performed by tribes from Indonesia and the Philippines. Medieval kings of Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries blackened their teeth too,” Professor Mita notes

In the Philippines, the use of gold in dental applications was a significant indicator of social status among the early ruling class. “This practice was deeply rooted in the culture as a mark and distinction of wealth and prestige,” she adds.

A few reasons

Today’s modern societies are baffled why such practices were so popular back then. According to Professor Mita: “Many cultures associated plain white teeth with beasts and other wild animals, and procedures like blackening the teeth showed they were different and civilized.

There are also other theories suggesting that in places where food was acidic, the blackened teeth were protection from decay.

The most commonly accepted theory is that most of these traditional tooth modification practices were important rituals that marked a person’s coming of age.”

(This story is part of a series about the vanishing cultural traditions in Southeast Asia.)