Tartar, caused by dental plaque going untreated and left to
harden, is giving Tel Aviv University scientists a glimpse into past diets and
pollutants, as they were able to analyze tartar-coated teeth discovered
remarkably preserved in Qesem Cave near Tel Aviv.
Once plaque forms into tartar, it is unable to be removed
except through the use of cleanings by your friendly Valencia dentist, or by
using ultrasonic tools. Unfortunately, these tools were not available 400,000
years ago. However, scientists and researchers have used their to their
advantage – they analyzed the tartar left on teeth discovered inside Qesem
Cave, and were able to determine what kinds of food they ate back then, and
also noticed traces of pollution.
In the tartar, scientists found traces of essential fatty
acids, hinting at the ingestion of nuts and seeds. They also found traces of
starch, which likely meant that they had some plants in their diet. But the
largest portion of their diet was meat.
With such a large consumption of meat, these humans
discovered ways to cook it. They created indoor barbecues, of sorts. However,
with the use of charcoal inside, they also created something never before seen:
airborne pollution. Scientists found traces of charcoal in their tartar,
hinting that the smoke from the fire had been inhaled.
Scientists also found one other thing: small plant fibers,
hinting at the use of small plants as toothpicks after their tasty barbecue.
Don’t want your teeth and dental tartar to be studied as a
time capsule in 400,000 years? Be sure to stop by your friendly Valencia
dentist today to get a cleaning.
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