You ask an interesting question, and I can see where some might surmise that slaves would have bad teeth. However, the facts simply don’t support that.
The condition of teeth in general and fillings specifically, are mentioned several times throughout the series. I have listed about all of them below.
The reference in Book 19 speaks of one of the Caste of Physician as basically being a dentist. So there is dental work on Gor.
And one might reason that if all teeth are perfect, there would be no necessity to check their condition.
But if bad oral or dental hygiene were common (or even existed) does it not seem likely it would be mentioned, at least once?
"I may wish to use you to breed thralls," he said. "You must be healthy for the farm. Put your head back, close your eyes and open your mouth."
She did as she was told, that the Forkbeard might examine her teeth. Much may be told of the age and condition of a female slave, as of a kaiila or bosk, from her teeth.
But the Forkbeard did not look into her mouth. His left hand slipped to the small of her back, holding her, and his right hand went suddenly to her body. She cried out, trying to pull back, but could not, and then, her eyes closed, whimpering, she thrust forward, writhing and then, sobbing, held herself immobile, teeth gritted, eyes screwed shut, trying not to feel. When his hands left her body she tried, sobbing, to strike him, but he caught both her small wrists, holding them. She struggled futilely, held kneeling.
"Put your head back," he said. "Open your mouth."
She shook her head, wildly.
"I am holding your hands," he pointed out.
Warily, eyes open, she opened her mouth. He looked at her teeth.
"I may wish to use you to breed thralls," he said. "You must be healthy for the farm."
Marauders of Gor    Book 9    Page 162
I felt examined as an animal. At one point, turning my head, thrusting two fingers of his left hand and two fingers of his right hand into my mouth, he pulled my mouth open, widely, examining my teeth. I have excellent teeth, white and small and straight. I had had two cavities, which had been filled. He paid them little attention. He had seen, as I later learned, women from Earth before. Such tiny things can be used to determine Earth origin. Goreans seldom have cavities. I am not certain what the reasons for this are. In part it is doubtless a matter of a plainer, simpler diet, containing less sugar; in part, I suspect, the culture, too, may have a role to play, as it is a culture in which undue chemical stress, through guilt and worry, is not placed on the system either in the prepubertal or pubertal years.
Slave Girl of Gor    Book 11    Page 26 - 27
This was she who had, with the blond-haired barbarian, been purchased as one of the matched set of serving slaves which Bila Huruma had given to Tende, among her other companionship gifts. This girl was also blond and barbarian, also clearly, given her accent, her teeth, which contained two fillings, and a vaccination mark, of Earth origin.
Explorers of Gor    Book 13    Page 288
"That my masters call me 'Beverly'," she said, "would not in itself tell you that I was from Earth. Not unoften Gorean girls, particularly if they are to be consigned to a low slavery, are given such names. Perhaps, then, you might have seen the tiny scarring high on my left arm. It is called a 'vaccination mark.'"
I smiled. Such marks, and fillings in the teeth, are used by slavers as almost infallible signs of Earth origin.
Rogue of Gor    Book 15    Page 207
"Similarly, you are barbarians," said Ginger. "Even as you learn the language of masters, your accent will continue to betray you. Similarly, even should you learn to speak flawlessly such things as the fillings in your teeth and the vaccination marks on your arms will continue to mark you as barbarian.
Savages of Gor    Book 17    Page 153
"And open your mouth, widely."
I complied.
"Durbar, come up here," said the first man. He was joined by his fellow. "Back there, see?" he asked Durbar.
"Yes," said Durbar.
As a child I had had some fillings in the molar area, on lower left side.
"They are common in barbarians," said the first man.
"Yes," said Durbar. "But, those of the caste of physicians do such things. I have seen them in some Gorean girls."
"That is true," admitted the first man.
These fellows must also know that doubtless such things might be found occasionally in the mouths of some Gorean men. On the other hand, of course, they would not have been likely to have seen them there. They would have seen thought presumably, only in the mouths of girls, slaves. One of the things that a master commonly checks in a female he is considering buying is the number and condition of her teeth.
Kajira of Gor    Book 19    Page 258
And there were numerous other ways, too, physical and otherwise, in which my origins might be betrayed, such as a vaccination mark and two tiny fillings. The latter, for example, would surely be discovered when a possible buyer checked the condition of my teeth.
Witness of Gor    Book 26    Page 269
To be sure, she doubted that she would ever speak this language perfectly. Who, even among native speakers, speaks any language perfectly? And she supposed that she might forever carry an accent in Gorean, at least a subtle accent, and that this, like fillings in her teeth, and a tiny vaccination mark, would continue, for better or for worse, to betray her barbarian origin.
Prize of Gor    Book 27    Page 215
In inspection position one such as she would normally be stripped, and standing with her feet spread, and her hands clasped either behind the back of her neck, or behind her head. In this way the breasts are lifted nicely, and, given the position of the hands, one has no interference to one's vision, and, similarly, one may, perhaps walking about her, test her for firmness, and for vitality, and such things. Teeth are often examined, as well. A barbarian girl, brought from Earth, often can be told from fillings in the teeth.
Swordsmen of Gor    Book 29    Page 16
Then he put his hand in my hair, and yanked my head up and back. "Get your mouth open," he said, "widely, more, more!" I closed my eyes against the light of the lamp so close to me, held by his fellow. I felt its warmth. My mouth hurt, held so.
"See?" said the man.
"The teeth," he said.
"I see," she said.
"They are in lovely condition," he said.
"No," she said, "the two specks, there and there."
"Of course," said the man, "many barbarians have such things, not all. It is one way of recognizing the barbarian."
"What are they?" she asked.
"I do not know," he said. "Some think they are a decoration, a thing of vanity, like a beauty mark, to call attention by contrast to the exquisite beauty of what is not blemished, others consider them an identification, device, a subtle one, by means of which a slave may be recognized."
"She is clearly a slave," said the woman.
"Obviously," said the man.
Actually, for those who may be unfamiliar with such things, what they spoke of was a consequence of the work of a form of physician on my native world, one who concerns himself primarily with the health and condition of teeth. The internal damaging of teeth is more common on my former world than on yours, a difference doubtless having much to do with differences in diet. In any event, the damaged tissue is often removed, the resultant opening being subsequently closed.
Conspirators of Gor    Book 31    Page 181 - 182
A slave assessment is commonly thorough. After all, money is generally involved. She must, for example, expect her hair, and her nails, of both the hands and feet, to be considered. And she must expect the command to open her mouth, widely, for her teeth to be examined. Many barbarians are characterized not only by a vaccination mark, but by tiny bits of metal in the teeth. The latter, fillings, are sometimes taken, by some Goreans, to be an esoteric form of barbarian adornment.
Plunder of Gor    Book 34    Page 592
