05/07/2026
This skull from ancient Egypt shows the damage a severe untreated tooth infection can cause. The large holes in the jaw were created by chronic dental abscesses that spread deep into the bone and slowly destroyed the surrounding structure.
Without antibiotics or modern dental treatment, this person likely lived with constant pain, swelling, and difficulty eating. In the ancient world, infections like this could become life-threatening if the bacteria spread into the bloodstream.
This remarkable discovery shows that serious dental disease existed thousands of years before modern sugar and processed food. Today, early dental care can stop tooth infections before they destroy bone and affect overall health.
