Scientists in Italy are claiming they have discovered a very early form of dental treatment, after digging up a 6,500-year-old human skeleton in Slovenia that had teeth with beeswax applied to them – thought to be one of the first ways man tried to deal with cavities and dental trauma. Although it is not immediately clear whether the wax was added before or shortly after death, if it was before, this could be considered evidence of early dental treatment; researchers think that this was intended to reduce pain and sensitivity from a crack in the tooth. Dr Claudio Tuniz of the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics, the study leader, said that ‘It is probably also due to its use in non-alimentary activities, possibly such as weaving, generally performed by Neolithic families.’
There is not much evidence for pre-historic dentistry but this new find could help provide an insight into the dental practices of our ancestors. Dr Federico Bernardini said that this was a significant development, saying ‘This finding is perhaps the most ancient evidence of pre-historic dentistry in Europe and the earliest known direct example of therapeutic-palliative dental filling so far.’
Using the specimen to build a picture of the patient’s life, researchers also felt that they were able to learn more about their dental history. They wrote; ‘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.’