Toothpicking and periodontal disease in a Neanderthal specimen from Cova Foradà site (Valencia, Spain)

PLoS One. 2013 Oct 16;8(10):e76852. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0076852. eCollection 2013.

Abstract

We present a Neanderthal maxilla (CF-1) from Cova Foradà site (Oliva, Valencia, Spain) with periodontal disease and evidence of attempts to alleviate pain with the use of a toothpick. Two interproximal grooves have been found on the distal surfaces of the upper left Pm(3) and M(1) of CF-1 maxilla. The location, morphology and size of the grooves coincide with other interproximal grooves found on the teeth of other fossil specimens. Heavy dental wear and periodontal disease would have caused the Cova Foradà Neanderthal specimen pain and discomfort, which the individual attempted to mitigate using some kind of dental probe.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Fossils*
  • Geography
  • Humans
  • Maxilla / pathology
  • Neanderthals
  • Periodontal Diseases / pathology*
  • Spain
  • Tooth / pathology*

Grants and funding

This work is funded by the Dirección General de Investigación of M.E.C., projects number CGL2012-38434-C03-01 and CGL2012-38434-C03-03. This research has been supported by AGAUR 2009 SGR-324 and SGR-566 projects of the Generalitat of Catalunya. Field work at the Cova Foradà site is supported by Diputación de Valencia. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.