Black Teeth

A silver-haired elderly woman in white, accentuating the dyed black teeth framed by her wholehearted smile

There was a time when the practice of dyeing one’s teeth black was considered a symbol of beauty, youth and womanhood. The practice was done for both cosmetic and practical reasons. Black teeth were regarded as more attractive and also believed to have fared better against dental cavity. The once thriving tradition, has been rapidly declining since the early 1900’s. It’s extremely rare to encounter someone under sixty years of age donning these jet black smiles nowadays.

Captured by tamingthecentaur in Hung Yen Province, northern Vietnam

Featured on ig_vietnam by Vietnam Sans Frontières