Neolithic Dentistry

Guess what?! Even very early humans had to visit the dentist. But instead of silver amalgam or ceramic fillings, they took a more organic approach. They used beeswax to fill cracks or cavities in the enamel (see tooth at right).


The Neolithic jawbone, first found in a cave in Slovenia in 1911, was recently tested with radiocarbon analysis. Italian researchers found that both the tooth and the beeswax were 6,500 years old. For more information on this find, check out the research article. I wonder if Neolithic celebrities whitened their teeth...