9. Black or Brown Tooth Dye
Thanks to the rarity of sugar, many peasants in the middle ages had decently healthy teeth despite the lack of dental care. However, the wealthy often over-indulged in the luxury of sugar resulting in horribly rotten teeth. In particular, Queen Elizabeth was noted for having teeth that were black from rot. Since Elizabeth was an icon and leader of many trends, even her black teeth were open to mimicry.
Peasants and lower classes began to use soot and other black compounds to dye their teeth. This notion gave the false high-status look of being able to indulge in sugary treats. While it’s hard to imagine now, when bright white teeth and thin bodies are the ideals of beauty, both rotten teeth and obesity were often only obtainable by the richest and highest stationed people in the middle ages and thus elevated as extremely desirable status signifiers. How times change.
In Japan, the trend of darkening teeth began separately and long before the Elizabethan era. The practice of Ohaguro involved staining the teeth a dark brown with lacquer. The lacquer was made from iron filings dissolved in vinegar. The method was followed by many in high society to give a distinct look that was not easily practiced by the lower classes.