Skip the gelato and the terrine (nougat) while you’re at it. Completely ignore Eating Italy Tour’s travel blog Top 10 Guide to the Best Sweets.
An orthodontist who oversaw the examination of 30 Pompeii inhabitants who were preserved in hardened ash after Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD 79, shared this sentiment with Quartz magazine:
“The inhabitants of Pompeii ate a lot of fruit and vegetables but very little sugar,” said orthodontist Elisa
Vanacore. “They ate better than we did and have really good teeth.”
Scientists appointed by the Archaeological Superintendence of Pompeii have used CAT scans to examine the preserved remains. The group, headed by radiologist Giovanni Babino, released photos of their work on Sept. 29, and revealed in a press conference that the ancient Romans had perfect teeth and “no immediate discernible need for dentists,” according news agency Agenzia Giornalistica Italia.
Though Pompeii citizens never used toothbrushes or toothpaste, they had healthy teeth thanks to their low-sugar diet. Massimo Osanna, superintendent of the World Heritage-listed site, said their diet was “balanced and healthy, similar to what we now call the Mediterranean diet,” according to The Telegraph.
More advice we can glean from the ancient civilization?
Fluoride matters.
Vanacore added in his interview that Pompeii citizens’ teeth would have benefitted from high levels of fluorine in the air and water near the volcano.
When you’re Googling the Mediterranean diet, be sure to read the full story in Quartz: https://qz.com/516672/ancient-romans-had-no-need-for-dentists-because-of-one-food-they-didnt-eat/