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dentistry

Top, an X-ray image reveals carious lesions on posterior molars. Bottom, a filed hole from the crown of the tooth into the pulp. Source: Carolina Bertilsson and Henrik Lund/PLoS ONE

Viking Age Dental Care Was Surprisingly Good, Says Study

Viking Age teeth from Varnhem bear witness to surprisingly advanced dentistry in the Norse population there. The findings of a study carried out at the University of Gothenburg reveal a complex...
Image from the Philips Sonicare toothbrush advertisement. Source: CM Dental.

Romans Used Powdered Mouse Brain and Human Urine in Their Toothpaste

Romans were particularly meticulous about their oral care, but their toothpaste recipes were anything but ordinary. A primary ingredient in Roman toothpaste was powdered charcoal, derived from...
Dentistry in the Middle Ages. Source: Archivist / Adobe Stock.

Dental Hygiene in the Middle Ages (Video)

Medieval dental hygiene debunked the misconception of poor oral health . Contrary to popular belief, our ancestors prioritized tooth care and believed that diseases could be spread through bad breath...
Upper ivory denture with human teeth. Source: Science Museum, London / CC BY 4.0

Teeth Scavenged from Fallen Soldiers at Waterloo Were Used as Dentures

Get ready to sink your teeth into a little-known fact about the infamous Battle of Waterloo! While many of us have heard of this bloody European battle that sent Napoleon Bonaparte packing, what you...
The Skull of Anne d’Alegre, countess of Laval (1565-1619) equipped with hippo bone dental prostheses and gold wire. Source: Rozenn Collator / Inrap

Anne d’Alegre and Her Dirty Dental Secret

Like many LA celebrities today, serious dental work was carried out in 17th century France to protect the smiles of perceived social elites. This statement is based on new research into the well-...
Hygiene has evolved over the years, but we’ve been taking showers for centuries. Women bathing in a public gymnasium; Gouache painting based on an ancient Greek vase. Source: Wellcome Collection / Public Domain

Hygiene Through History: How Filthy Were Our Ancient Ancestors?

People in the past have a reputation for being dirty and unhygienic, but is this true? While many aspects of personal hygiene have evolved over the centuries, others have remained surprisingly...
Maya teeth were turned into jeweled teeth by skilled ancient dentists, but a recent study suggests that this also benefited oral hygiene!		Source: Gary Todd / CC0

Ancient Maya Tooth Bling Was Also Good for Oral Hygiene!

The Maya loved their bling and often decorated their teeth with gemstones. But maybe these weren’t all just for show. A new study conducted by the Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the...
Ancient Dentistry - golden teeth

Jewel-Capped Teeth and Golden Bridges: 14,000 Years of Dentistry

Dentistry, in some form or another, has been practiced for at least 14,000 years, although tooth extraction and remedies for toothaches probably go back much further. The study of ancient remains...
Many prosthetic dentures were composed of Waterloo Teeth .           Source: Museum of London Archaeology

Waterloo Teeth: Wearing A Dead Man’s Grin

Toothaches are the worst. We all get them, and we all hate them. Going to the dentist can often seem like a very unpleasant necessity. But in the 21 st century, it is often taken for granted –...
Infected tooth partially cleaned with flint tools, dating to the Late Upper Paleolithic. It is credited as the oldest found evidence of dentistry.

Paleolithic Toothache: Oldest Dentistry Revealed in 14,000-Year-Old Tooth of Young Man

Researchers were undoubtedly smiling over a 14,000-years-old tooth that revealed the oldest known dentistry techniques, dating back to the Late Upper Paleolithic (between 50,000 and 10,000 years ago...
Horses congregate near a deer stone site in Bayankhongor, in central Mongolia's Khangai mountains.

Oldest Evidence of Horse Veterinary Care Discovered in Mongolia

Through careful study of thousands of skeletal horse remains found in ritual burial sites in Mongolia, a team of researchers has detected evidence of veterinary dental procedures being administered...
Medieval style bathing depicted in calligraphy of a book circa 1400.

Medieval Hygiene Might Have Been Better Than You Think

The Medieval period is usually perceived as a time in Europe during which the greater part of the continent was in decline. In many aspects of Medieval society, the quality of life was inferior as...
 Model of a Neanderthal

130,000-Year-Old Neanderthal Teeth Reveal Evidence of Prehistoric Dentistry

Neanderthals treating toothaches? A discovery of multiple toothpick grooves on teeth and signs of other manipulations by a Neanderthal of 130,000 years ago are evidence of a kind of prehistoric...
A scan of the two teeth with bitumen filling. Credit: Stefano Benazzi

13,000-Year-Old Bitumen Dental Fillings Found in Italy: Earliest Example of Dentistry Known to Date

Researchers have discovered the world's most ancient dental fillings in northern Italy. The fillings were spotted inside a pair of 13,000-year-old front teeth and they were made of bitumen, a semi-...
Eight Impressive but Terrifying Cases of Ancient Surgery

Eight Impressive but Terrifying Cases of Ancient Surgery

It is hard to fathom the way in which invasive surgery was carried out prior to the development of modern anaesthesia, but ancient people around the world have been cutting and drilling into the...
Human skull with well-preserved teeth

New study shows ancient Britons had less gum disease than the modern day

A new study published in the British Dental Journal has revealed that ancient Britons had significantly less gum disease compared to that seen in the modern day, despite the advent of the toothbrush...