As a result of analysis of bones at that time, Tokyo Medical and Dental University and others found that people in the Edo period also suffered from periodontal disease, in which the bones that support the teeth and teeth are melted due to bacterial infection.
Examining the tartar that had adhered, it was also found that the bacteria that cause periodontal disease are different from those of today.
Research groups such as Tokyo Medical and Dental University have published the results of analyzing human bones from the late Edo period, which were excavated near Fukagawa in Koto Ward, Tokyo, by CT scans in a Swiss journal of molecular biology.
According to it, it was found that 5 out of 12 bodies had a part of the jaw bone melted and had periodontal disease.
In addition, analysis of DNA contained in tartar attached to bone revealed that there were 24 types of bacteria, 17 of which were found in the mouth of modern humans.
However, none of the bacteria that cause periodontal disease in modern humans was detected in the tartar of humans in the Edo period, and the research group found that the bacterial environment in the mouth was different from that in modern times. People are believed to have had periodontal disease due to other bacteria.
Yoshihiko Shibata, assistant professor at Tokyo Medical and Dental University, said, "I would like to investigate the historical transition of bacteria that cause periodontal disease in detail, find out the bacteria that are the target of the fundamental treatment, and connect them to new treatments." In the future, I will also investigate the tartar of people from earlier times.