The Mayan civilization paid a lot of attention to their teeth and it is that long before the Europeans filled their cavities with gold, the inhabitants of Mesoamerica exhibited dazzling smiles with gems of jade, turquoise, gold, jet or hematite.
The discoveries in this regard indicate that this practice was not something for the rich, but that men and women of all social classes went to the “dentist” in their youth to have their teeth drilled and filled with jewels , precious stones or minerals. These inlays would be forever and, although they probably have a spiritual meaning, a recent study suggests that the cement used to glue the gems could have hygienic and therapeutic properties .
The sealant used by the ancient Mayans was not only incredibly adhesive, holding the gem in place for over a thousand years, but its ingredients have the potential to fight cavities and reduce inflammation and infection in the mouth.
The rich mixture of organic components present in the cement makes archaeologists think that it was not used simply as a glue that sought to repel water. In contrast, the fixation of small stones in the incisors and in the canines during early adulthood might have been accompanied by some protection against caries .
It is very curious, but according to the findings, the drilling to insert the gems into the tooth was done with such skill that it rarely damaged the pulp of the nerves and blood vessels in the center.
The ancient teeth analyzed in the study came from three Mayan archaeological sites in Guatemala, Belize and Honduras, and the individuals to whom the teeth belonged do not appear to be part of the elite.
In the sealants used to affix gems to teeth, the researchers identified 150 organic molecules typically found in plant resins. Depending on where the tooth came from in the Yucatan Peninsula, each sealant mix had a slightly different ingredient list, but the main ingredients were largely the same. These include compounds associated with pine tar , which are thought to be antibacterial. Two of the eight cloves had traces of sclareolide, a plant compound often used in perfumery for its good smell and antibacterial and antifungal properties. Essential oils from plants in the mint family were also common in sealants, suggesting possible anti-inflammatory effects.
The results are not entirely unexpected, as there is much evidence to suggest that the ancient Mayans paid close attention to dental hygiene. The Mayans polished their teeth regularly and if they got cavities, it seems that the teeth were extracted.
However, these practices of a more therapeutic type of dentistry have historically been overshadowed by the striking decorations that this civilization wore on its teeth, the edge of which was often filed to leave them with a pointed shape. Before, this was attributed only to ritual or aesthetic reasons.
Mayan dentistry was clearly an art form, but the new findings suggest that the practices could have more than just aesthetic goals.
The fact that many people had this treatment also suggests that it is not necessarily a reflection of a person’s social status. “Although the mixtures were complex and effective in providing durable dental fillings, the mortuary contexts of the sampled individuals indicate that these were not elite individuals , but rather that a wide swath of Mayan society benefited from the expertise of the individuals who manufactured these cements,” the study authors write.
Reference:
Hernández-Bolio, Gloria I. et al. 2022. Organic compositional analysis of ancient maya tooth sealants and fillings. Journal of Archaeological Science. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2022.103435.
