Discover dental techniques in ancient times

Ancient evidence demonstrates the ingenuity and aesthetics of ancient people in cosmetic dentistry practice many millennia ago.

The Indus Valley civilization left the earliest evidence of dental activity from 7,000 BC. In Pakistan, researchers found many teeth drilled with a special tool like a bow, with a head made of flint. The findings suggest that the ancients knew how to treat dental diseases with skill.

The experiment reconstructed a dental tool with a head made of flint, found in the stone age graveyard in Mehrgarh, Pakistan.(Photo: University of Minnesota Duluth)

In 2012, a group of experts in Italy studied excavated teeth and jaw bone fragments in Slovenia dating to 6,500 years old. The tooth has a cavity hole but it is covered with a layer of beeswax, which can help reduce pain and swelling. This is the oldest evidence of human fillings.

Fantasy stories about tooth decay

The first and longest explanation of the cause of tooth decay is caused by the worm, which was demonstrated by Sumerian ivory sculpture around 5000 BC.

The idea of ​​a worm that causes tooth decay is also found in ancient Greek poetry and philosophical works, in the ancient cultures of India, Japan, Egypt and China. The above concept continued until the late 1300s, when French surgeon Guy de Chauliac still supported the idea of ​​worm making tooth decay.

Mayan tooth decoration

The Maya are masters of cosmetic dentistry. They decorate their teeth by attaching them to gems or carving them on the surface of their teeth. Small bores on teeth will attach to precious stones with adhesives made from natural plastic, such as sap mixed with chemical substances and crushed bones. The Maya have a complex knowledge of dental anatomy because they know how to drill into their teeth without harming the inner pulp.

Technique of making teeth on a 4,000-year-old mummy.The two in between are the teeth of others.(Photo: Ancient Origins)

Medieval dentistry

During the Middle Ages and the entire 19th century, dentistry was not a specific occupation, the dental procedure performed by a barber or physician. Barbers only do things like extractions, relieve pain and tooth infections.

In the 1400s, dentures had more shapes than we see today. Dentures made from animal bones or ivory carvings, even many grave robbers take the teeth of the deceased to resell to the dental therapist. However, this type of denture usually does not last long and easily decay over time.

Pierre Fauchard is a French surgeon born in the 17th century. He is considered the father of modern dentistry by completing the first book describing a system of dental care and treatment.