On: Water Fluoridation May Not Prevent Cavities, Scientific Review Shows

[tptacek]

Tooth decay has plagued humanity since before recorded history. Before dentistry, it used to kill people. It routinely kills animals in zoos. Presumably it kills them in the wild, too --- just, more slowly and painfully.

Which is not to moralize about your own dental hygiene. Dealing with the consequences of poor dental hygiene is what dentists are for. :)

[evunveot → tptacek]

Certainly wasn't my intention to engage in paleophilia (which unfortunately means sexual attraction to dinosaurs according to Urban Dictionary; I'm talking about the unreasoned assumption that anything humans experienced pre-civilization must be more "natural" and thus beneficial). I acknowledge that in the absence of a consistent oral hygiene regimen the health of my and my cat's teeth is at risk. I also hope that science will some day save both of us from some or all of the tedium and expense.

[SixSigma → tptacek]

Tooth decay in England only became a major issue from the Tudor period onwards when readily available sugar was introduced the food supply

[tptacek → SixSigma]

I don't know what "major issue" is, but there is evidence of paleolithic dentistry, long before there were sugar crops.