Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • 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.

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Get just this article for as long as you need it

$39.95

Learn more

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Nature 579, 322 (2020)

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

References

Subjects

Latest on:

Nature Careers

Jobs

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing

Search

Advanced search

Quick links