"The Good Old Days"

The "good old days" were probably not so good after all. During the Middle Ages it was not uncommon for people to have their teeth worn down to the gum line. This was caused by bad bread milling techniques which included lots of grit in the flour that caused the erosion of what started out as healthy teeth. In the video below, which is the first scene of a movie I made long ago with Richard Searls, the viewer can observe a remarkable technique for extracting teeth that no longer serve a purpose. DIY.
Hey, if you don't have the bread to see a dentist, what's a poor boy to do?
During the course of making this movie, one of the subjects, Walter Lane, would frequently treat us to biscuits that he baked in a metal box that was inserted into the stove pipe coming from his wood-burning stove. Bob Wagg and Walter Lane were the quintessential masters of ingenuity.

In this short film clip, Bob Wagg demonstrates do-it-yourself dentistry



*Disclaimer*
The directors highly recommend you consult with a professional before attempting this method of tooth extraction.

An award-winning feature film by Richard Searls and Stuart Silverstein
Most requested film at the Maine State Prison (no joke)
67 minutes
Covering a period of four seasons in the remote backwoods Maine, DEAD RIVER ROUGH CUT presents a revealing look at the lives of Walter Lane and Bob Wagg. They live and work in the woods, cutting trees, trapping beaver and accepting their isolation for the independence it affords them. They share their reflections about friendship, women, money, the lone life and death. Amusing, insightful and always outrageous, their observations and stories pull few punches in this beautifully restored new version of a Maine classic.

For more information go to Northeast Historic Film
Check out the Dead River Rough Cut blog