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Ancient Gem-Studded Teeth Show Skill of Early Dentists
The glittering “grills” of some hip-hop stars aren’t exactly unprecedented. Sophisticated dentistry allowed Native Americans to add bling to their teeth as far back as 2,500 years ago, a new study says.
Ancient peoples of southern North America went to “dentists”-among the earliest known-to beautify their chompers with notches, grooves, and semiprecious gems, according to a recent analysis of thousands of teeth examined from collections in Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (such as the skull above, found in Chiapas, Mexico).
The early dentists used a drill-like device with a hard stone such as obsidian, which is capable of puncturing bone.
“It’s possible some type of [herb based] anesthetic was applied prior to drilling to blunt any pain,” Jiménez said.
The ornamental stones-including jade-were attached with an adhesive made out of natural resins, such as plant sap, which was mixed with other chemicals and crushed bones, Jiménez said.
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Ancient Gem-Studded Teeth Show Skill of Early Dentists
The glittering “grills” of some hip-hop stars aren’t exactly unprecedented. Sophisticated dentistry allowed Native Americans to add bling to their teeth as far back as 2,500 years ago, a new study says.
Ancient peoples of southern North America went to “dentists”-among the earliest known-to beautify their chompers with notches, grooves, and semiprecious gems, according to a recent analysis of thousands of teeth examined from collections in Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (such as the skull above, found in Chiapas, Mexico).
The early dentists used a drill-like device with a hard stone such as obsidian, which is capable of puncturing bone.
“It’s possible some type of [herb based] anesthetic was applied prior to drilling to blunt any pain,” Jiménez said.
The ornamental stones-including jade-were attached with an adhesive made out of natural resins, such as plant sap, which was mixed with other chemicals and crushed bones, Jiménez said.
