Ancient Dental Techniques

26 Jul Ancient Dental Techniques

In our last article we told you about how teeth can leave behind a record of what our ancestors ate millions of years ago. According to the journal Nature, evidence of tooth drilling has also been discovered from nearly six millennia ago. In a Neolithic graveyard on the Pakistan/ Afghanistan border (also known as the Baluchistan region)… 11 drilled molar crowns from nine adults were discovered dating from 7,500 – 9,000 years ago. These findings provide evidence of a long tradition of dentistry in an early farming culture.

Nowadays, modern dental drills can rotate up to 400,000 RPMs using hard metal alloy bits known as burs. The burs used back then were actually flint bits driven by a small bow. The drilling seemed quite complicated (even on the molars that were farthest from the middle and front of the jaw). The archaeologists experimented using these techniques with an end result that this type of drilling could be done in under a minute. Would you believe this technique was considered everyday dentistry in this region? The holes were measured as deep as 3.5 mm. It is speculated that the drilled teeth, dated up to 5500 B.C., were done to relieve cavity pain.

Are you experiencing pain from untreated cavities? The Dental Partners of 5th Avenue operate a modern state-of-the-art facility offering family and cosmetic dentistry, as well as dental implants, TMJ, sleep apnea, and orofacial pain treatment. If you have cavities… it’s best not to wait to get them taken care of. Cavities do not go away. They need to be treated by a professional as soon as possible. Contact us today to set up your appointment with the Dental Partners of 5th Avenue and feel better!