Oldest Dental Filling: Discovering Bitumen and Hairs in Ancient Teeth
The oldest dental filling, which dates back to 13 thousand years ago, was done by a dentist born in what would later become known as Italy. The oldest tooth 'repaired' with a bitumen-based compound was found at the Riparo Fredian site, near Lucca (Italy). Two upper central incisors belonging to a single older person who lived in the Upper Paleolithic have a central hole.
Scientists used different microscopic techniques to observe the inside of the holes and published the results of the research in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ajpa.23216 ).
The wall of the teeth have a series of tiny horizontal marks suggesting that cavities made with small stone tools were used to widen the hole.
The two incisors found “present an innovative procedure. The holes contain traces of bitumen embedded with plant fibers and hair suggesting evidence of prehistoric dental fillings. The purpose of the fibers and hairs is unknown, but they were added to the hole after drilling, they are not food remains. As in modern dentistry, the Paleolithic dentist would have drilled and filled holes to reduce pain and keep food out of the pulp chamber.
