Women and men, poor and rich. Among the Mayans there were no distinctions when it came to decorating their teeth. Long before anyone thought of putting gold pieces in their teeth, it became fashionable among the citizens of this Mesoamerican Empire to use precious stones to make their smiles brighter.
They drilled their teeth and used gems of jade, turquoise, gold, jet or hematite to cover these cavities, in a process that probably had a spiritual meaning. And they did it, in addition, using a powerful glue that lasted a lifetime and that in some cases has kept the stones in the same place for a thousand years.
The surprising thing is that this incredible adhesive also had many other qualities…medical. According to researchers from the National Polytechnic Institute of Mexico and the Autonomous University of Yucatan, the sealant stands out for having both hygienic and therapeutic properties.
The scientists explain, in an article published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, that the ingredients of this cement had the potential to fight dental caries and reduce inflammation and infections in the mouth.
The rich mix of organic components in the glue has led archaeologists to believe that the product, which allowed small gemstones to be embedded in the incisors and canines of adult Maya, also provided some protection against cavities.
The drilling to insert these gems into the teeth was done so expertly and painstakingly that it rarely impacted the nerve pulp and blood vessels in the center. The analyzed pieces came from three archaeological sites of the Classic period (from the year 250 to 900): Holmul (Guatemala), Baking Pot (Belize) and the Copan Valley (Honduras). And its former owners were not members of the ruling elite.
The specialists identified up to 150 organic molecules in the sealants that are commonly found in vegetable resins. Depending on where the tooth came from in the Yucatan peninsula, each glue mixture had a series of slightly different ingredients, although the main ones were basically the same.
Most of the cements showed compounds associated with pine tar, which are believed to contain antibacterial properties. Two of the eight pieces studied had traces of sclareolide, a plant compound with antibacterial and antifungal properties. It is also often used in the perfume industry for its good smell.
Essential oils from plants in the mint family were also common in sealants, suggesting possible anti-inflammatory effects. This is not the first time that experts have found evidence of special attention to oral hygiene among the Mayan populations. The people of this town polished their teeth regularly and even removed the pieces if they had cavities.
"Although the mixtures were complex and effective in providing durable dental fillings, the mortuary contexts of the people sampled indicate that these were not elite people, but that a wide swath of Mayan society benefited from the experience of the people who manufactured these cements," write the article's authors.
The Mayans often filed their teeth into sharp shapes and then embedded the gems. In the past, this had been attributed solely to ritual or aesthetic reasons. But dentistry, clearly an art form at the time, would also have been more than just beauty.
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