This news article discusses the discovery of a rare dental prosthetic, made from Bovidae bone, in an early 19th-century burial site located in Porto, Portugal. Researchers examined the bridge using non-destructive techniques, such as micro-CT scanning, X-ray diffraction, and Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry, to analyze its composition and function.
Taken from a skull, the bone bridge measures 24 millimeters long, six millimeters wide, and 12 millimeters high. It was carved into three U-shaped teeth increasing in size.
By the holes on each end, it might have been tied into place. Notably, a mysterious lead-based cube-shaped object was installed at the right upper corner of the bridge. Using several non-destructive techniques, researchers were able to examine the bridge without damaging it, allowing them to assess how 19th-century people addressed tooth loss, prior to the modernization of medicine. While other dental devices have been found, this particular bridge is a rare find in the history of dentistry.
Recovered from an early 19th-century burial in the 3rd Order of Our Lady of Carmo hospital in Porto, the prosthetic is believed to have sat in the mouth of a young female adult, though researchers could not confirm. However, whoever they were, they sought some means of treating tooth loss.
However, the upper jaw exhibited signs of severe tooth loss, which is where they identified the medical device, made of Bovidae bone, a family of animal that includes cattle and bison, though given what researchers know about trade, it could have originated from an African antelope. Researchers turned to micro-CT scanning, X-ray diffraction, and Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry to find out.
“The bioanthropological analysis of this individual did not reveal any evidence for the cause of death. Likewise, there is no evidence that the dental pathology is associated with it, as perFrom what they could assess, it would have sat over the lower right incisors and canines. Researchers hypothesized that it might have helped this individual chew, though it appeared to have served mostly a cosmetic function, perhaps covering the lower front teeth, hiding gaps and damage.
It might have improved speech, even, by filling gaps, as reported byResearchers couldn’t find any records of a similar device in medical literature. But they came across other examples made of gold, even, but any dental care at the time would have required significant resources, pointing to the status of the individual with the means to commission a cosmetic treatment that might have also served a practical function.
“This study forms part of the larger BeFRAIL project, which is currently ongoing. The project utilizes a multidisciplinary and multimethodological approach to study human frailty in 19th-century Porto,” says Ms. Vassallo and Dr. Alves Cardoso inhave been discovered—such as a wire dental ligature from the late 15th century and an ivory bridge from the 16th and 17th centuries—more advanced versions began to appear in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Thus, the PortoOriginally from LA, Maria Mocerino has been published in Business Insider, The Irish Examiner, The Rogue Mag, Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines, and now Interesting Engineering. Culture
Dental Devices Bovidae Bone African Antelope Medical Device Cosmetic Function Chow Speech Improvement
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