Current Publication:
The International Journal of Oral & Maxillofacial Implants
September/October
Volume 19, Issue 5

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A 5,500-Year-Old Artificial Human Tooth from Egypt: A Historical Note

Joel D. Irish, PhD

Archaeological excavations at a Neolithic cemetery near Gebel Ramlah, Egypt yielded, among other finds, a life-size shell carving of a human tooth. Based on its spatulate crown and large conical root, the tooth most closely emulates a maxillary incisor. The crown’s lingual and labial surfaces are suggestive of a left central incisor, whereas the occlusal view is more reminiscent of a left lateral incisor. The present report details the tooth’s appearance and provides several interpretations concerning its function, including the possibility that it was intended to be a dental implant.

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