Vintage Hygiene Practices That Are the Very Opposite of Clean

Worms Were to Blame for Tooth Decay

Before dentists understood cavities, many believed toothaches were caused by tiny worms burrowing into your teeth. To “cure” this, they’d fill their mouths with smoke, believing it would flush the worms out into a bowl of warm water.

This superstitious remedy persisted for years, despite the lack of evidence. Thankfully, science eventually caught up, and the myth of the tooth worm faded away.