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  • RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT

Forget plunder: these Vikings needed toothbrushes

Multiple cavities pit the teeth excavated from a Viking settlement found in modern-day Sweden.
A 9th century Viking drinking horn on display in the Historical Museum in Oslo, Norway.

This Viking drinking horn might have held mead, which is made from honey and could have contributed to the high rate of dental decay found in Viking remains. Credit: Alamy

Anyone who survived to adulthood in the Viking Age probably had terrible teeth. Researchers examining Viking skeletons have uncovered signs of infected gums and worn molars, and new findings show that the Vikings had another problem to worry about: cavities.

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Nature 579, 322 (2020)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-020-00688-z

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