Recent decades of human life have been recorded in writing, but how can we learn more about our ancestors who lived before recorded history? We can start by taking a look at their teeth! Archaeologists and other researchers have noticed numerous tell-tale signs of our ancient past when evaluating the teeth of skeletal remains. For instance, wear patterns indicate people in certain areas around the globe chewed on herb sprigs and soft twigs from trees to clean their teeth. Some skeletons reveal early attempts at advanced dentistry procedures like seashells, rocks, and other items inserted into the gums to function as an early form of dental implant supported tooth replacement. Recent research has delved into the secret stories being told by neanderthal dental plaque. Thanks in part to a lack of preventive dentistry, these skeletal remains that can be dated back tens of thousands of years actually have a lot to tell us.
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