Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Ancient Egyptians Were Tatted and Suffered Toothaches, But There Were Remedies

Ancient Egyptians Suffered Toothaches While Building the Pyramids

Ancient people were not that different from you and I, according to mummies exhibited in  the "Ancient Lives: New Discoveries," at the British Museum.  Eight mummies dating between 3,500 BC to 700 AD were examined by CAT scan, infrared technology and carbon dating.  The procedures proved mummies suffered oral disease and had tattoos. One woman was found to have the Archangel Michael tattooed on her inner thigh, while almost all suffered poor dental health; tooth decay, tooth abscesses, and terrible toothaches.

The earliest known dentist was the "Chief of the toothers," an Egyptian named Hesy-Re also spelled Hesy-Ra from the third dynasty. He was not only the chief dentist, but also a physician for Pharaoh Djoser in 27th century B.C.  He died with his tombstone being inscribed with "Doctor of the Tooth."  He tended to the dental health of people working on the pyramids. He was the first known man to recognize gum disease.

Let's take a look at some of the remedies;

1. Egyptians turned to superstition as a prevention.
2. The body of a dead mouse was applied to the aching tooth while still warm.
3. Drilled holes in teeth to drain infection to treat abscesses with out anesthesia.  Pre-cursor to dental fillings and root canals.

Suffering toothaches in ancient Egypt would have been common. +Verde Pointe Dental Associates+Kirk Kimmerling DDS and +Suzanna Aguilera DMD would have been treated like Gods.

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Thousand Year Old Mouth Bacteria Found

Researchers from the University of Oklahoma and an international team discovered a 1,000 year old mouth
1000 year old Mouth Bacteria Found That Causes Gum Disease in Tartar
bacteria preserved in dental plaque.  The find  proved  inflammatory disease causing bacteria existed in a Medieval population from 1,000 years ago.  It is the same bacteria found in 13 percent of the population today.

Christina Warinner, a researcher in the Molecular Anthropologies Laboratory, OU College of Arts and Sciences and an international team of experts extracted DNA to analyze proteins on a molecular scale.  They were able to reconstruct the infection and the immune process.  The find gives insight and valuable information between people and their disease causing microbiome.

The research was initially considered high risk, as no one knew if something harmful was preserved in the calculus.

The dental plaque was harmful to the health of people 1,000 years ago, just as it causes periodontal disease; gum disease today.

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Depression and Anxiety Lead to Tooth Loss

People that are depressed or suffer anxiety are more likely to lose a tooth than others.

A recent study from the International & American Associations for Dental Research found depression and anxiety were linked with tooth loss. Participants over 19 years of age were used in a complex telephone survey by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and state health departments called the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) where complete data on depression, anxiety and tooth loss was gathered.

The study concluded that there was a link between those that suffer depression and anxiety with tooth loss. Individuals with anxiety may avoid professional dental care, and those suffering depression neglect to perform home care.  Since cavities and gum disease occur from complex and chronic conditions, neglect and avoidance over time will result in tooth loss.

If tooth loss does occur, there are ways to restore your smile with procedures such as dental implants, dental bridges, dental partials. If you find yourself in need of an emergency dentist for a dental extraction, root canal or emergency dental visit +Verde Pointe Dental Associates can help.  We at +Verde Pointe Dental Associates, Dr.+Suzanna Aguilera and Dr. +Kirk Kimmerling DDS will offer options and associated fees when tooth loss occurs.