Gingivitis was common but Romans had better gums thanks to their tobacco-free society

© King's College London

© King's College London

© King's College London

Dental inspections on more than 300 skulls found in a Romano-British cemetery in Dorset have revealed that Romans had better gums than modern-day people in Britain, despite infections, abscesses and tooth decay being common almost 2,000 years ago.Only five percent of the skulls, discovered in Poundbury in 2007, showed “moderate to severe” gum disease. Experts believe their health compared to today’s society, in which as much as 30 percent of the adult population is thought to suffer from chronic periodontitis, could be due to the emergence of smoking or diabetes.“We were very struck by the finding that severe gum disease appeared to be much less common in the Roman British population than in modern humans, despite the fact that they did not use toothbrushes or visit dentists as we do today,” said Professor Francis Hughes, the lead author of the study at King’s College London.“It is likely that the Poundbury population were genetically very similar to modern European populations.“A recent study of calculus samples from German skulls with periodontitis from the Middle Ages has demonstrated very similar periodontal pathogens to those seen in modern times, and does not support the idea that an increase in periodontitis may be due to changes in oral flora over time.“It does not appear that the relatively poor diets of these people pre-disposed to periodontitis. But this was a non-smoking population with likely very low levels of diabetes mellitus and these may be key factors in determining the prevalence of disease.”Disease among the residents, who were “well-preserved” in simple wooden coffins and are stored at the Natural History Museum, appeared to remain constant for members between 20 and 60, rising to around ten percent in older age.The cemetery contained dwellers from the countryside and the more densely-populated urban concentration of the town between 200 and 400 AD, some of whom would have been immigrants.They lived during a peaceful time, with infectious diseases and childbirth for mothers representing two common causes of death.“Gum disease has been found in our ancestors, including in mummified remains in Egypt, and was alluded to in writings by the Babylonians, Assyrians and Sumerians as well as the early Chinese," said Professor Hughes.“It seems likely that gingivitis was widespread but we have no way of assessing this. It is also possible that mild periodontitis was common, but owing to the methodological issues outlined this is not confirmed with any high degree of certainty.”Extensive tooth wear from a young age may have been caused by a diet rich in coarse grains and cereals. Theva Molleson, a co-author of the study from the museum, said the results showed a “major deterioration” in oral health between Roman and modern times.“By underlining the probable role of smoking, especially in determining the susceptibility to progressive periodontitis in modern populations, there is a real sign that the disease can be avoided,” she added.“As smoking declines in the population we should see a decline in the prevalence of the disease.”