I just finished reading The Physicians of Myddfai by Dr. Harold Selcon. I learned about the book from one of the academic articles I was reading on oral hygiene and rushed to find a copy for myself. It took a few days for me to get into it, and there was a lot of information that did not pertain to my current area of research, but I did find some very interesting tidbits that I would like to share with you.
How to Act at Getting From Bed, and Subsequently During the Day, with Other Hygienic Matters
Chapter 186 of The Physicians of Myddfai states “…clean the teeth with the dry bark of the hazel, as they will become all the fairer in consequence. Your speech will be almost most distinct, and breath sweeter.” Dr. Selcon notes here that Giraldus Cambrensis stated that the Welsh of the 12th Century “paid great attention to their teeth, rubbing them with either the leaves or the bark of the hazel, and refraining from hot meats and drinks, so that they were of dazzling whiteness.” He further states that hazel contains compounds that are both astringent and antiseptic in nature. Seeing no footnotes, or supporting documentation in the book, I did a little research of my own.
In 2007 ScienceDirect published a study called “Hazel (Corylus avellana L.) leaves as a source of antimicrobial and antioxidative compounds” The study concluded “the results obtained in this study demonstrate that hazel leaves may be a good candidate for employment as antimicrobial agent against bacteria responsible for human gastrointestinal and respiratory tract infections. It may also constitute a good source of healthy compounds, namely phenolic compounds, suggesting that it could be useful in the prevention of diseases in which free radicals are implicated.” Great news for people with stomach and lung issues, but it doesn’t talk about the health of one’s teeth.
None of the studies I’ve read on hazel have made any correlation between any part of the hazel plan with oral hygiene. I’m not giving up the line of inquiry and will provide updates as I get additional information.
Next Steps
I just finished The Excruciating History of Dentistry by James Wynbrandt and am in the process of reading A History of Dentistry From the Most Ancient Times Until the end of the Eighteenth Century by Vincenzo Guerini. Once I’ve completed Guerini’s book, I plan on editing my original paper to include the new information I’ve obtained. I also plan on doing further research into hazel and finding other resources on Welsh oral hygiene. And that’s only a fraction of what I want to work on!
As I stare at the mound of research materials I’ve acquired over the past several months, I will admit I am a little daunted by it. There is so much to sift through. But, my boss always says you eat a whale a bite at a time, so breaking this down into smaller pieces will make it manageable.