Shakespeare’s Dental Care

How did William Shakespeare take care of his teeth? A crowd of interested onlookers at Charlottesville’s Barnes & Noble bookstore attended the Virginia Festival of the Book event: Natural Health Remedies and the Science Behind Them. Attendee Lydia Fetcho, a 20-year resident of Charlottesville, wanted to find out what herbal remedies might have been used to treat dental problems before modern dental practices became the norm. Fetcho said, “Many conventional medicines came from herbal remedies. My family and I are interested in things we can still use and what people like Shakespeare might have used.”

Authors Barbara Grogan (500 Time-tested Home Remedies and the Science Behind Them) and Leslie Alexander (Dental Herbalism: Natural Therapies for the Mouth) shared highlights from their books.

In the book 500 Time-tested Home Remedies and the Science Behind Them, Grogan outlined six “pillars of health.” Even though good health is largely influenced by the food we eat, Grogan said that health is not all about food; the six pillars all work together. She reviewed how the remedies were written in simple, practical steps, explaining how to use the remedy with the science referenced in the back of the book.

Highlights of Grogan’s book included vitamin D, which is absorbed into the skin when exposed to sunlight. Fifteen (15) minutes daily without sunscreen provides all the vitamin D the body needs.

Studies in the book show how garlic fights infection and how avocado is a healthy fat and benefits the skin and the brain. Of particular interest is the research on fermented foods, such as yogurt and sourdough bread and the beneficial bacteria they contain that crowds out harmful bacteria throughout the body and improves digestive problems and allergies.

In Dental Herbalism: Natural Therapies for the Mouth, Alexander spoke of how inflammation in the mouth is a significant contributor to dental problems and listed anti-inflammatory herbs such as calendula and thyme.

Pine and orange peel, high in vitamin C, reduce inflammation as well. These herbs with the herb yarrow, which reduces bleeding, are combined in a mouth rinse that Alexander developed. Salt water rinses were also recommended for their healing properties.

Artist Michael Solsotka, another attendee and an avid listener of The People’s Pharmacy on NPR, said, “I was impressed with the speakers’ willingness to spend time sharing their knowledge and experience with us and how great the book festival is.”

Grogan, former editor-in-chief of National Geographic Books, co-authored the book 500 Time-tested Home Remedies and the Science Behind Them with Barbara H. Seeber, editor for National Geographic Books, and Linda B. White, M.D., a specialist in integrative medicine and herbal therapies. Grogan was instrumental in developing NGBs health-line, including Nature’s Medicine, Body: The Complete Human, Brainworks, and the People’s Pharmacy Quick & Handy Home Remedies.

Alexander, a medical herbalist and former research scientist, and Linda A. Straub-Bruce, a registered dental hygienist and member of the American Dental Hygienists Association, co-authored the book, Dental Herbalism: Natural Therapies for the Mouth.