Did Tutankhamun Have a Dentist?
The History of Dentistry in Ancient Egypt
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Katedra i Zakład Anatomii Opisowej i Topograficznej, Wydział Lekarski z Oddziałem Lekarsko-Dentystycznym w Zabrzu, Śląski Uniwersytet Medyczny w Katowicach
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Katedra i Oddział Kliniczny Chorób Wewnętrznych, Wydział Zdrowia Publicznego w Bytomiu,
Śląski Uniwersytet Medyczny w Katowicach
Corresponding author
Marek Kucharzewski
Katedra i Zakład Anatomii Opisowej i Topograficznej, Wydział Lekarski z Oddziałem Lekarsko-Dentystycznym w Zabrzu, Śląski Uniwersytet Medyczny w Katowicach, ul. Jordana 19, 41-808 Zabrze
Ann. Acad. Med. Siles. 2017;71:55-61
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ABSTRACT
This article will attempt to find an answer to a seemingly mundane question – Did Tutankhamun have a dentist? Modern dentistry is associated with increasingly advanced treatment technology and expensive and sophisticated equipment located in most offices. In this paper, the authors present the situation in ancient Egypt, where in spite of the absence of access to the latest developments, there was interest in this field of science. From today's perspective, it is difficult to believe that the ancients were able to treat caries, remove teeth and immobilize them with a 'golden wire'. Although they did not know toothbrushes, they took particular care of oral hygiene using herbal mouthwashes. Contrary to popular belief, dental history is thousands of years old and archaeological discoveries confirm that ancient cultures had basic dental knowledge and even then pre-diagnosis and treatment of conditions in the oral cavity was possible. The civilization of ancient Egypt had not only a developed culture, politics, but also medicine including dentistry.
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