Scientists say 'dentists' existed even before humans came to life

The possibility of a ‘root canal treatment’ in a pre-human era baffled the archaeologists who seemed surprised by Neanderthal’s advanced behaviour to care for its sick.

Archaic humans used to treat tooth cavities using sharp tools some four hundred thousand years ago- yes you heard that right.

The closest extinct kin to humans called Neanderthals were much like them in many aspects but still formed a different species.

The discovery of a single molar, unearthed in a cave in southern Siberia has led scientists to believe that dental treatments were there even before the human race (Homo Sapiens) started to walk on the planet.

The possibility of a ‘root canal treatment’ in a pre-human era baffled the archaeologists who seemed surprised by Neanderthal’s advanced behaviour to care for the sick.

In the article published in the journal PLOS One, the archaeologists stated that the medical knowledge among the Neanderthals has long attracted scholarly attraction. 

The study also described how Neanderthals also used toothpicks to remove residual food between the teeth and sometimes to alleviate pain from inflammation. 

Who were Neanderthals?

To understand ‘dental’ practices in Neanderthals, it is important to understand who they were and how they differed from human beings.

While Neanderthals are a separate species, evidence suggests they shared a common ancestor with Homo sapiens (human beings).

As per Natural History Museum, they lived from 400,000 to 40, 000 years ago. They lived across Eurasia, covering areas from Europe to central Asia and were completely replaced by modern day humans about 35, 000 years ago.

From the back, they looked like human beings but if one looked into their faces, they appeared different. 

Some of the distinct features were: a long, low skull, a prominent brow ridge above the eyes, a protruded face and a big fat nose.

Also, they didn’t quite have a chin and adapted well to cold and dry environments. 

Despite being labeled as ‘cavemen’, the growing research shows they scored high on intelligence and were skilled in making useful tools.

Research also shows that Neanderthals had developed social values and cared for their loved ones when they were sick and even buried their remains.

The discovery of molar

The archaeologists recently unearthed a Neanderthal molar from the Chagyrskaya Сave in Siberia.

About 70 fossils, including 26 dental specimens were excavated from the cave.

The scientists discovered a large, irregularly shaped deep pit inside the molar and  wanted to assess if it was intentional and whether it served a medical purpose.

Upon microscopic analysis, they found it to be a second molar of an adult Neanderthal with its exact positioning inside the jaw remained confusing, whether right or left.

They found it to lack a crown, with no preserved enamel (the outer covering), loss of coronal dentine (the part of the tooth having nerve sensitivity) and the pulp of the tooth remain exposed.

For sometime, the archaeologists played on assumptions as to what caused the pit or depression, was it dental trauma or an intended caries removal.

After in-depth scanning and comparison with other teeth, they concluded that the pit resulted from an intentional drilling or scraping aimed at removing the dental caries.

Even the edges around the tooth depression were smooth and had a rounded curvature. 

The findings suggest that this molar remains the earliest known evidence of intentional dental treatment.

Reportedly, some dentists said given the circumstances during that time, this appeared like a ‘beginning to root canal treatment’. 

Archaeologists assume the patient would have survived but the tooth wasn’t filled which could have made them exposed to chronic infections.