Personal Attributes of Nicholas II

[Mie]

How many people actually knew about this tattoo? I mean did the folk knew of it (how did AA knew about the tattoo?) Did Nic. have to hid the tattoo if he was in important meeting etc.. I think it would get a lot discussion in his country and in *political*groups ...

[hikaru]

I do not think if Nicholas thought profondly about the meaning of the symvol of the dragon.
It was just the most picturesque and exautique.
Maybe the master explained him that a dragon means the power, strenghth and fast moving.

[granduchessmariska]

Yes, yes! And of course, being the Tsar means having the ability to choose what you or your people want to do! If I were him, I probably wouldn't have gone either, as you said i_a. He probably knew what was coming and really didn't mind all that much. Maybe he figured there were other procedures, aside from the dentist's intimidating tools that would work!

[TampaBay]

Nicholas hated going to dentists. Remember in those days, anaesthesia was far more primititve and the tools were barbaric by todays standards. They did have and use modern style toothbrushes and basic toothpastes.

However, there was no fluoride in the water.  The number one reason  for decline of dental diease in the USA since 1940 is fluoride in our water.

TampaBay

[JD]

Yep, fluoride is big. I don't think smoking harms dental HEALTH so much as discolors teeth.  Believe it or not this topic was actually brought up some time ago and someone suggested his habit of drinking tea with a sugar cube between his teeth might've contributed.

[Mazukov]

Years ago they use to use bleach to clean there teeth to make them white again. the problem with this was it removes then Enamel from the teeth, which can cause great pain over time.

[rosieposie]

In the book "Dead Men Do Tell Tales" by some Doctor.  (I don't remember the author) The author writes a chapter about the slaughter of the Romanovs and even goes to inspect the skeleton remains. In the photo section you can see the skulls of both Nicholas and Alexandra and from what I saw Nicholas still had a fair about of teeth even though some looked chipped or broken.  Alexandra also had some missing teeth but that could be due to the bashing of the faces when they died.

[strom]

The Emperor's dental X-rays apparantly do not match that of the body identified by President Yeltsin's government at belonging to the Emperor.  I suspect that the Emperor's body has nor yet been found and along with that the bodies of the other members of the Imperial family supposedly killed at Ekaterinburg have not yet been incontrovertibly identified.  

[rosieposie]

I didn't know that they think the skull isn't Nicky's.  I am sure before they buried them that there was some technology envolved such as scanned the skulls and matching the skull with the image.   In the "Dead Men do tell tales book."  It is suggested that Nicky has the arms of his footman.  And the footman has the arms of Nicky.

[Johnny]

I heard (or read) that although at the time of the burial of the Imperial family DNA technology was already fully available, it was not used to identify the bone remains. It was all done through measurments and picture matchings etc.
Needless to say, these archaic methods did not satisfy any of the more serious witnesses to the whole procedure.

[Guinastasia]

Also, even for those who take care of their teeth, like myself, sometimes genetics play a role-I've had two teeth yanked for infections (fillings fell out, I didn't have insurance), and I need some bridgework down.  My mother had dentures when she was 18, because she ate too much candy and never brushed her teeth properly (I do, but I still get plenty of cavities). 

He was almost what, fifty?  That sounds about right.  That and he smoked, so yeah, he'd have bad teeth.  Poor guy-teeth suck.  Ever have an abcess?  If not, then pray you never do.  Worst pain EVER.

[Mazukov]

DNA was indeed used. The use od DNA was not passed over. In fact
Helen Azar  has done a wonderful write up on it you can read it here
http://www.geocities.com/mushkah/Newclaims.html

[Caleb]

Didn't they compare Nicholas's DNA to that of his little brother G.D. George?

[helenazar]

On the doorframe where the entire family used to mark their heights. This tradition continues to this day whenever members of royal families visit the castle.

[granduchessmariska]

Caleb, you're right! They did. They dug George up to take samples, so I don't see how it's likely that that was not Nicholas' skull.
Although, I never was a scientist. I could be wrong, of course.