Roman Woman Had Golden Smile

[Ioannis]

The earliest known dental prosthesis from ancient Rome may not have been very functional, but it gave its wealthy wearer a million dollar smile.

The gleaming grin resulted from multi-karat gold wire, which was used to string together "artificial teeth," according to the team of Italian researchers who analyzed the ancient bridgework.

More at: http://medarch.blogspot.com/2007/05/rom ... smile.html

[Memmia]

Hi,

I have always been intrigued about the evidence in the twelve tables where it states:

8-9. A person must not add gold (to the funeral pyre). But him whose teeth shall have been fastened together with gold, if a person shall bury or burn him along with that gold, it shall be with impunity.

Twelve tables

I always wondered how long ago the Romans began using 'blingy' golden dentistry, and which other cultures may have influenced it. That article has some good info.
Thanks.

[Tarbicus]

It seems to have been an age old practice going back to at least 2500 B.C.

http://www.gold.org/discover/news/article/6663/
Another body housed in the Dr Samuel Harris National Museum of Dentistry, dating back to 2,500 BC, had even more pronounced gold bridgework, with golden bands running across the front of the teeth.

Fascinating stuff.

Etruscan: http://www.classics.uwaterloo.ca/labyrinth/mouth.htm
The Etruscans, who were excellent craftsmen, even made dentures for those unfortunate persons who had lost one or more teeth. False teeth in ivory or bone were riveted to a gold band; each end had a loop and these were meant to slip around the teeth on either side of the gap in your smile.

http://www.dentistry4u.com/history_of_dentistry.htm

[Marcus Mummius]

Don't forget that the use of gold in these protheses is also out of health reasons. Another metal corrodes and might form poisonous substances in your mouth. Gold however isn't very likely to do this.

Vale,