"Human Ancestors Had the Same Dental Problems as Us" Topic

…--Even without Fizzy Drinks and Sweets.

"Dental erosion is one of the most common tooth problems in the world today. Fizzy drinks, fruit juice, wine, and other acidic food and drink are usually to blame, although perhaps surprisingly the way we clean our teeth also plays a role. This all makes it sound like a rather modern issue. But research suggests actually humans have been suffering dental erosion for millions of years.

My colleagues and I have discovered dental lesions remarkably similar to those caused by modern erosion on two 2.5m year-old front teeth from one of our extinct ancestors. This adds to the evidence that prehistoric humans and their predecessors suffered surprisingly similar dental problems to ourselves, despite our very different diets…"
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Amicalement
Armand

I remember seeing skulls of a fishing culture from the Peruvian coastal desert that had the most beautiful straightest teeth ever, all 32 teeth, even though they were elderly adults. Even the wisdom teeth were in place and at the proper angles.

Not a single missing tooth, except from damage caused later by grave robbers.

And yet, a couple of hundred miles away, the skulls from the ancient farming communities were in really bad shape. The skulls of the elderly had lots of dental cavities, mandibular and maxillary bone abscesses and many missing teeth.

Dan

Some of it comes down to genetics. My teeth are really good. The only work I've had done is a root canal from where I was assaulted in Lancaster while attending Historicon one time and getting a tooth killed in the assault and a small cavity where my wisdom tooth smashed into one of my molars.

On the other hand my friend, whose dad is actually my dentist, has lousy teeth and has most of his replaced with fillings. I don't think the dental care was particularly different in terms of cleaning teeth or anything.

Ain't life a funny thing?

Yes… it is!… (smile)

Amicalement
Armand

Their dental insurance never covered anything they needed either?

(smile)

Amicalement
Armand

Well, I don't know about the elective procedures the Ancient Peruvians might have gone for, but I think the Mayans had to pay out of pocket for all their decorative Jade inlays. :)

Dan
PS. Of course, once you get through the enamel and into the dentin, chances are the tooth would die and an abscess would develop around the root soon after:

And the you have the Mentawai (and other ethnic groups) who have found other ways to accelerate tooth decay and root death.

Dan