A Universal Ache Across the Ages

From the throbbing misery of cavities to the humiliation of tooth loss, dental suffering transcends time. While modern dentistry offers relief, our ancestors faced oral health crises with far fewer solutions. Remarkably, China’s Tang and Song dynasty literati left vivid accounts of their dental torment—transforming personal pain into timeless poetry and inadvertently creating a unique historical record of pre-modern dentistry.

The Poets Who Howled in Pain

Among the most eloquent sufferers was Han Yu (768–824 CE), the Tang dynasty’s “Prince of Letters.” His confession at age 35—“My sight grows dim, my hair turns gray, my teeth loosen and sway”—opens a window into premature dental decline. By 45, his poem To Liu Shifu paints a tragicomic scene: watching friends feast on meat while he slurped porridge through gummy jaws.

Not to be outdone, the hedonist poet Bai Juyi (772–846) documented three-day toothache marathons where even alcohol (possibly used as anesthetic) couldn’t dull the agony. Centuries later, the Song dynasty’s Lu You (1125–1210) made history’s most relatable excuse—delaying a temple inscription commission by pleading dental distress in Eight Letters to Monk Zhongqi.

Medieval Dental Interventions: From Quackery to Innovation

Ancient treatments ranged from the dangerous to the ingenious:
– Han Dynasty’s Poisonous Fix: A Golden Chest medical text prescribed mercury-laced “silver paste” fillings—an innovation that risked arsenic poisoning from heated minerals.
– The Deadly Extraction: Eastern Jin official Wen Qiao (288–329) died from post-extraction infections, highlighting the perils of pre-sterilization surgery.
– Tang Dynasty Specialization: Imperial medical colleges established dedicated oral health departments, with mercury amalgam fillings appearing in Newly Revised Materia Medica.
– Song Dynasty Cosmetic Dentistry: Lu You’s poems confirm the popularity of tooth implantation services—likely primitive dentures.

Cultural Echoes of the Toothless Elite

Beyond medical history, dental decay shaped literary culture:
– Han Yu’s Falling Teeth transforms biological decline into existential philosophy: “Teeth fall as life must end—why grieve what we can’t mend?”
– Ming scholar Wu Yan’s Tooth Loss (1516) satirized political exile through dental metaphors after losing favor with the corrupt eunuch Liu Jin.
– Qing palace inventories reveal Western dental tools infiltrating the Forbidden City, marking the globalization of oral care.

Ancient Oral Hygiene: Twigs, Bones, and Social Status

Archaeology reveals surprising sophistication:
– World’s First Toothbrushes: 9th-century Tang bone brushes (Chengdu excavations) and Song dynasty bamboo models predate European equivalents.
– Medicinal Mouthwashes: Herbal blends featuring皂角 (soapberry) and青盐 (green salt) fought plaque in wealthy households.
– Class Divide: While elites used silver-wrapped dentures, peasants relied on willow twigs for cleaning—a disparity preserved in tomb artifacts.

Why Their Pain Still Resonates

These accounts humanize historical icons while revealing healthcare’s democratizing journey. When Han Yu lamented “My few remaining teeth tremble like precarious cliffs,” he voiced a vulnerability that still unites us across centuries. Today, as 3D-printed implants repair what ancient “silver paste” once attempted, these poetic howls remind us how far—and how little—humanity’s dental drama has evolved.

From Tang dynasty mercury fillings to Song dynasty denture artisans, China’s medical pioneers laid groundwork for oral care despite limited tools. Their legacy endures not just in museums, but every time someone winces at a dentist’s drill—and reaches for comforting words from poets who truly understood the agony of a rotten molar.