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Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Ancient Egyptian Mummy with Mouthful of Cavities Discovered
A recent CT scan of a mummified body from ancient Egypt
reveals a variety of oral health issues including a mouthful of cavities. While
his cause of death is not entirely known, researchers believe he may have died
from a sinus infection caused by his numerous cavities.
Based on the way he was preserved, it is believed that the
man was wealthy and from Thebes (Egypt was ruled by a dynasty of Greek kings
2100 years ago around the time the man lived). The embalming process preserved
enough of his teeth for researchers to identify numerous abscesses and cavities
in his mouth.
While dental practices were rather primitive 2100 years ago,
the ancient Egyptians were clearly among the leaders in the field. In order to
relieve the man’s suffering, the ancient dental specialist used a piece of
linen dipped in medicine to create a “packing” in the man’s largest cavity.
This packing formed a barrier that prevented food particles from entering the
cavity, and the medicine was most likely used to minimize the rather intense
pain he was likely experiencing.
This dental packing was observed on the CT scan recently
performed. Researchers have declared it as the first known case of this packing
treatment being performed on an ancient Egyptian. This packing differed
significantly from a modern dental
filling in that its aim was not to stabilize the tooth. Instead, it seems
the primary purpose was to create a barrier and relieve some of the man’s pain.
Please contact us
today to find a qualified dentist in your area.
posted by
Andrew
at
11:12 AM
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