Jade Teeth

Source More than a thousand years ago, Maya dental specialists were creating decorative tooth inlays with a level of precision that still impresses researchers today. They carefully drilled small cavities into living teeth and fitted pieces of jade, turquoise, pyrite, and other minerals into the openings. The work was not simply a rough attempt to push stones into enamel. The holes were shaped with care, and the inlays were secured using durable cements made from mixtures that included plant resins, mineral materials, and other organic compounds. Modern chemical analysis has found ingredients with antibacterial, antifungal, or anti-inflammatory properties in some of these ancient adhesives. That may have helped protect the tooth and surrounding tissue while keeping the decoration in place. The strongest evidence of their skill is that some inlays have remained attached for centuries. Researchers believe the practice was usually decorative or connected to identity and status rather…