Printer Friendly
The Free Library
14,702,759 articles and books
Member login
User name  
Password 
 
Join us Forgot password?

Toothy discovery.


A recent discovery reveals that even 9,000 years ago people had to endure the dreaded dentist's drill Noun 1. dentist's drill - a high speed drill that dentists use to cut into teeth
burr drill

bur, burr - small bit used in dentistry or surgery
.

Anthropologists who study human cultures had thought that dentistry originated roughly 5,000 years ago. So they were stunned stun  
tr.v. stunned, stun·ning, stuns
1. To daze or render senseless, by or as if by a blow.

2. To overwhelm or daze with a loud noise.

3.
 to find circular drill holes in the teeth of several 9,000-year-old skulls that were dug up in Pakistan.

David Frayer, an anthropologist at the University of Kansas The University of Kansas (often referred to as KU or just Kansas) is an institution of higher learning in Lawrence, Kansas. The main campus resides atop Mount Oread. , isn't sure why the holes were drilled. But four of the teeth showed signs of cavities. Ancient dentists may have been treating this damage, caused when bacteria in the mouth produce acid that eats away at the tooth's hard enamel coating.

OUCH: Ancient dentists may have used a bowlike device to spin a sharp flint stone a hard, siliceous stone; a flint.
- Knight.

See also: Flint
 and bore into the patient's tooth.
COPYRIGHT 2006 Scholastic, Inc.
No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.
Copyright 2006, Gale Group. All rights reserved. Gale Group is a Thomson Corporation Company.

 Reader Opinion

Title:

Comment:



 

Article Details
Printer friendly Cite/link Email Feedback
Title Annotation:tooth drilling was present 9000 years ago
Author:Thompson, Andrea
Publication:Science World
Article Type:Brief article
Geographic Code:9PAKI
Date:Sep 4, 2006
Words:127
Previous Article:Splintery snack.(rotten wood is a good snack for animals)(Brief article)
Next Article:Adventures of the ant man: a biologist risks life and limb searching for ants.(Brian Fisher )(Cover story)
Topics:



Related Articles
Switch to Cosmetic Work Has Dentists Smiling.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
RESEARCHER FINDS BONES OF FLEET-FOOTED DINOSAUR.(News)
Out of the shadows: not all early mammals were shy and retiring.
Mystery drilling: ancient teeth endured dental procedures.(This Week)
A whale's amazing tooth.
Prehistoric trips to the dentist.
Know the drill.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Mexican find reveals ancient dental work.(ANTHROPOLOGY)(Brief article)
Science News.

Terms of use | Copyright © 2009 Farlex, Inc. | Feedback | For webmasters | Submit articles