New Evidence of Neolithic Dentistry
Bible and archaeology news
This 6,500-year-old dentistry was recently published by Federico Bernardini, Claudio Tuniz, Alfredo Coppa, Lucia Mancini, Diego Dreossi, Diane Eichert, Gianluca Turco, Matteo Biasotto, Filippo Terrasi, Nicola De Cesare, Quan Hua and Vladimir Levchenko.
The study, published in the open-access, peer reviewed journal PLOS ONE, includes descriptions of a variety of analytical techniques including synchrotron radiation computed micro-tomography, Accelerator Mass Spectrometry radiocarbon dating, Infrared Spectroscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy. The researchers report that if “the filling was done when the person was still alive, the intervention was likely aimed to relieve tooth sensitivity derived from either exposed dentine and/or the pain resulting from chewing on a cracked tooth: this would provide the earliest known direct evidence of therapeutic-palliative dental filling.”
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I see a lot of abrasion here which I used to see on patients in their thirties and forties who lived in sandy soil climates. Also see bone loss, so this is an older patient likely. I used to see country patients use clove oil mixed with various things as a palliative
The thought of a 6000 year old dentist visit is sure to give me nightmares from now on – thanx! 😛
Open holes in teeth have been packed with food matter or chewing gum between visits for root canal therapy. It is possible this is from chewing on honey comb, and not necessarily a deliberate attempt to fill a tooth. Points can wear off cusps and expose the dentin, which being softer, often leaves a “swimming pool wash out” surrounded by the stronger enamel. Things will pack into the depression. Sometimes open teeth will pack chewing gum out the end that is in the boney socket.