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Re:A history of the Crusades, as told by crusaders' DNA by girzel on Wednesday June 26, 2019 @03:16PM (#20288205)
If you don't brush or floss, your teeth end up completely coated in a layer of plaque. I think I once read somewhere that, due to low-sugar diet everyone else is talking about, the plaque on people's teeth "back in the day" was non-corrosive, and probably pretty good protection.

You'd think the plaque would still be present on the skeletons, but who knows. This is just speculation to begin with...

Re:A history of the Crusades, as told by crusaders' DNA by SketchySeaBeast on Wednesday June 26, 2019 @05:50PM (#20289594)
I'm lucky enough not have the bacteria that cause cavities - I'm awful with going to the dentist, but every time I do I walk out without any cavities. However, I do walk out with a stern warning about the dangers of plaque - how it's constant inflammation that causes tooth decay, gum disease, and a multitude of systemic problems - having teeth covered in plaque seems to be a problem in and of itself.
Re:A history of the Crusades, as told by crusaders' DNA by girzel on Wednesday June 26, 2019 @07:54PM (#20290522)
Again, this is drawn mostly from hazy memories of articles previously read, but my understanding was that plaque on the teeth of people who don't eat a diet high in sugars and refined carbs doesn't cause inflammation, ie it's fairly neutral on the teeth and gums. I'm not trying to start a pseudo-science upswell here, though, so maybe ignore this for the time being.