"The Teeth of All Rhyme and Reason" Shakespeare's Dental Fixation

Abstract

Much has been written about the breadth of knowledge that William Shakespeare displays in his work, allowing scholars to combine historical and biographical details to speculate on his impressive range of intellect. While numerous articles discuss the relationship between the Bard and the medical field,² comparatively less attention has been paid to his discussion of dentistry. This article aims to provide a holistic look at the various components of dental care that were on the audience’s mind at the time: the numerous factors that negatively impacted the quality of one’s teeth, leading to toothaches; attempts to clean teeth to stave off their removal; the persistence of halitosis; and the supernatural relevance ascribed to toothaches, natal teeth, and other dental abnormalities, such as harelips. Comparatively few scholars have discussed the expansive role and influence of dentistry in the early modern period in depth, and this article looks to compile the disparate research into a concise view of the problems plaguing Shakespeare’s audience. Additionally, without speculating on how much personal experience Shakespeare had with the unsettling dentistry practices of the time, this article discusses how he reflects his audience’s understanding of these issues throughout his canon. Nearly every play³ mentions teeth in a variety of applications, and he ultimately draws a correlation between one’s dental condition and social status: from the toothpicks used by the upper class, to the low opinion held of tooth-pullers, to the maliciousness ascribed to Richard III because of his natal teeth. Shakespeare’s works reveal a communal dental experience that united audience members from the Queen to the peasants, yet still reaffirmed cultural differences in how they did—or did not—address their dental problems.