A Crunchy Cure Against Cavities

The thought of rudimentary instruments and ruthless Medieval dentists pulling teeth without anything to numb the pain sends shivers down most peoples' spine. But anyone who avoids the dentist's chair like the plague should consider taking a cue from the good old days of dental hygiene.

According to a German professor of dentistry, people living during the early Middle Ages had far fewer problems with their teeth.

Wolfgang Arnold of the University of Witten/Herdecke in western Germany recently examined the dental remains of people buried near the city of Kharkiv in Ukraine between the 5th and 9th century.

"None of them had cavities," he said, according to AP news service.

The explanation is quite simple: Medieval men and women spent quite a bit of time chewing their food, which helped clean the teeth along the way.

In comparison, modern diets include larger servings of carbohydrates and softer foods, making teeth more prone to decay, Arnold said.

"Who eats raw vegetables or muesli that hasn't been soaked in milk?" he asked.

Fans of traditional British cuisine might want to reconsider getting that extra helping of mushy vegetables.

"Not cooking everything to death does help quite a bit," Arnold said.

Carrot sticks, anyone?