Brush, Floss, and Smile: A history of dental care, oral health, and social inequality

In this podcast episode, Greg Marchildon interviews Catherine Carstairs about her newest book The Smile Gap: A History of Oral Health and Social Inequality. Carstairs presents the first cultural and social history of oral health in Canada and explores the ways in which society places high value on good teeth. For those Canadians without access to good, or any, dental care, there is a gap as they struggle with their general physical health and their self-image. Consequently, people without an “attractive smile” may be at a disadvantage professionally and socially. Carstairs further elaborates on the history of dental care, examining the improvements in the field over the past 100 years, in particular the use of fluoride, the focus on children’s dental care, and the rise of cosmetic dentistry. Catherine Carstairs is Professor of History at the University of Guelph, where she specializes in the history of health and medicine, as well as gender history. This podcast was produced by Jessica Schmidt. If you like our work, please consider supporting it: bit.ly/support_WTY. Your support contributes to the Champlain Society’s mission of opening new windows to directly explore and experience Canada’s past.