The term Viking is derived from the verb Vikingr which means to raid once again linking to their practices of raiding other lands to pillage or settle in.1 Another misconception about the Vikings involves the stereotype of being ‘unkept and unruly' as mentioned above. At this point, you may be wondering what Vikings have to do with dentistry but due to this misconception, most may assume that the Vikings had teeth riddled with disease and that their oral hygiene would leave something to be desired if it was even being practised. However, through archaeological and clinical investigations, historians and scientists alike have uncovered evidence that Viking oral hygiene and dental care was far advanced than previously assumed involving various cleaning practices, procedures such as extractions and aesthetic work; all combined with higher societal importance placed on oral hygiene than one would have thought.2
First, let's explore some of the dental health issues experienced by the Norsemen. One study2 from 2023 looks at the prevalence, distribution and location of dental caries in a Swedish Viking age population from around 10 to 12 century AD. The study looked at 171 individuals from a Christian Viking community with either partial or complete dentition. Clinical evaluations of the teeth involved the use of a dental probe under a strong light source and radiographs taken of 18 individuals for verification of clinical results. The investigations found at least one carious lesion for 49% of the population with all juvenile individuals being caries-free but at least 1 carious lesion in 62% of the adult population. Though the majority of caries presenting population experienced 1 or 2 lesions, a very small number of individuals was found to have an abnormally high number of carious lesions compared to the rest of their population. This hints that some individuals in the population experienced a greater susceptibility to caries for currently unknown reasons. Though further testing would be needed, these individuals could be blood-related and potentially be genetically predisposed to caries. Another lifestyle-related factor that could contribute to caries prevalence in this population regards the high intake of starchy foods (barley, wheat, oats etc). This coupled with a lack of oral healthcare contributes to a high prevalence of proximal caries.
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