The Ancient Maya's Vibrant Dental Gemstone Artistry: More Than Just Fashion

A thousand years before Pierre Fauchard began his work on replacing lost teeth with ivory dentures in France or the introduction of grillz into parts of popular culture, the Maya were both taking excellent care of their teeth through regular cleaning and filling their teeth into pointed shapes for what were long presumed to be ritual reasons. They were also placing semiprecious stones into their teeth, creating a vibrant and visually striking effect.

The Discovery of Gemstone-Studded Teeth

Archaeologists have found a wide variety of gems in the teeth of Maya remains, including jadeite, iron pyrites, hematite, turquoise, quartz, serpentine, and cinnabar. The visual effect would have been stunning during the lifetime of the person who had the surgery done.

But the stones did not stay in place with mere glue. The cement the Maya used was a complex mixture that most likely also had medicinal benefits. Pine resin, found in some of the samples, is thought to have a number of antimicrobial qualities. Two of the skeletons had hints of sclareolide, a product used in cosmetics and often found in clary sage and tobacco. This substance has antifungal and antibacterial traits and could bestow these benefits into the cement as well. Oils from plants related to mint were also detected, which could bestow anti-inflammatory effects when used in this way.

The Sophistication of Maya Dental Practice

While the different skeletons had different cement compounds, the overall effect of the components in the cement appears to be similar: The concoction may have offered some protection against cavities and the side effects of the surgery. Plus, the cement has lasted 1,000 years and continues to hold the stones in place.

The study also noted that none of the remains appear to be those of royals, and most of them appear to belong to members of middling socioeconomic classes. This suggests that the procedure was common and not limited to the elite — though as many as one in three elite males may have had the procedure done. The three sites in the study were all of what we now consider the Maya culture, but were spread across what is now Guatemala, Belize, and Honduras, suggesting that knowledge of how to use these plant materials spread with the tendency to alter teeth in this way.

Beyond Fashion: The Potential Medicinal Benefits

One of the major unknowns regarding the ancient Maya practice of dental gemstone inlaying is the nature of the cement, used to affix small stones inside artificially drilled cavities on labial tooth surfaces. These cements endured the harsh buccal environment of a lifespan and secured the inlay firmly in the tooth even through centuries of subsequent postmortem decay. Beyond their adhesive properties, the sealant materials probably reduced cariogenic activity and periodontal infectious disease.

Prior analysis of dental sealings was limited to the identification of inorganic components. Among the materials identified are hydroxyapatite and Portland cement-related compounds, materials that hardened and strengthened Maya dental adhesives. However, the substances that provided the agglutinant and resistance properties to the sealants and fillings remained unknown.

A recent study involving the analysis of the organic fraction of tooth sealants and fillings from three Classic-period Maya archaeological sites revealed a surprising level of sophistication. Attenuated total reflectance infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC–MS) of eight dental specimens revealed a compositional variety, providing further clues as to the organic materials used in the sealing potions prepared by the ancient dental practitioners.

The organic molecules suggest that vegetal resins from Pinaceae species, a probable Lamiaceae-derived essential oil, an Asteraceae preparation, and bitumen, were among the main ingredients. The results of these analyses further attest to the chromatic properties of dental fillings and suggest the sealants may also have had antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.

Conclusion

The ancient Maya's practice of dental inlaying was not just a fashion statement, but a testament to their advanced medical knowledge and dental care. By using a complex mixture of natural materials, they were able to create vibrant, long-lasting dental work that may have also provided medicinal benefits to the wearer. This discovery highlights the high degree of sophistication of ancient Maya dental practice, challenging our preconceptions about their medical and artistic capabilities.