Hygiene practices from another era, far from being clean

Blackened Teeth: Once a Beauty Standard

Back in the day, in parts of Japan and Southeast Asia, having your teeth dyed black was considered *the* height of beauty. People would slap on this special lacquer on their chompers, which also doubled as a preservative to keep the cavities at bay.

While it might seem a bit odd or even spooky to us now, jet-black teeth used to symbolize health, elegance, and being all grown up. The tradition’s mostly faded away now, but you’ll still find a few communities keeping the flame alive.