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Stone Age Dentists

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the old-drilling dept.

morleron writes "Scientists have found evidence in Pakistan that the Stone Age had dentists. They used flint drills to remove cavities and attempt other tooth repair. No evidence as to whether or not the patients were conscious during the procedures."

16 of 219 comments (clear)

  1. Obligatory: by dteichman2 · · Score: 2, Funny

    In other news, ancient people from Bedrock had cars, which they powered with their feet. Scientists have located stone cylinders next to sticks, which can only have one possible meaning. No evidence as to whether or not this is really the case. NOTE: This is a joke. Plain and simple. The article is actually pretty cool.

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  2. Consciousness by lovedew · · Score: 5, Funny

    No evidence as to whether or not the patients were conscious during the procedures

    During the "Stone" Age, I think it's obvious that even the patients were conscious, they weren't be soon after the procedures started.

    I'm more interested in knowing if the patients were still alive after the procedures.

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    1. Re:Consciousness by eln · · Score: 5, Funny

      I think it's safe to say that they all died at some point after the procedures.

    2. Re:Consciousness by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 2, Funny

      You could RTFA, which describes how scientists can tell that patients lived longer than the treatments' duration.

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    3. Re:Consciousness by Wyatt+Earp · · Score: 5, Funny

      I was undergoing an outpatient operation on the scrotal area in 1999. I was given local, they waited till we all thought it was numb, then they opened me up...

      They used an electrical cauterizer to keep the bleeding down...it sounded like the lightning gun in Q3A and felt like what you can imagine electricity against the scrotal area feels like.

      I said, "Doctor, I can feel that." He zapped me and said, "you felt that?"

      I never was able to play Q3A again because of that lightning gun sound.

      A Spinal Tap is pretty bad, migraines since my stroke are bad, but the cauterizer was worse.

  3. Re:Rucas gets Fristage Postage? by dteichman2 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Ooops... looks like I beat you, Mr. Troll

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    Silence is golden... and duct tape is silver.
  4. THE MORE YOU KNOW! by Tezkah · · Score: 4, Funny

    I dont think I want to know what kind of anesthesia they would have used then...

    they didn't use novocaine, they used NovoClub

    NovoClub: Only one swing and the pain goes away!

    1. Re:THE MORE YOU KNOW! by plankrwf · · Score: 4, Funny

      No wonder this (NovoClub) treatment isn't used anymore; it was and probably still is patented ;-0

      Roel

  5. Re:not dentist by Tezkah · · Score: 2, Funny

    i'm sure that they are not called as 'dentists'.

    what are you, an anti-dentite?

  6. Re:anesthesia? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    "... Hemp, opium..."

    Dude, that so totally makes sense. It was the Stone Age, so they were, like, stoned...

  7. This week on 'The Flintstones'.... by Channard · · Score: 4, Funny

    'I tell you, Barney, I don't need to see no dentist! I can do this myself...' 'But Fred...' 'Look, I've tied one end of this rope to my tooth, the other end to a boulder. Then I just push it over this cliff and... yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!' 'Fred? Hey, where'd you go, Fred?' *voice from bottom of cliff* 'Call the dentist, Barn.'

  8. Captain Caveman - the Dentist by MindPrison · · Score: 3, Funny

    Toothpain? No problem...Captain Caveman fix you good

    Captain Caveman apply anesthetics so you dont feel pain (SLAM!)

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  9. Re:anesthesia? by Wellington+Grey · · Score: 1, Funny

    They weren't exactly grunting fools 8,000-10,000 years ago.

    So the human race has de-evolved then?

    -Grey

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  10. Re:Would that also mean they had fillings? by (negative+video) · · Score: 4, Funny
    I'm a dentist. It is a misconception that teeth "decay". The calcium-rich material is actually stripped away by dental mites, who use it to build nests behind the tonsils.

    Regarding the present discovery, it is thought that the tonsils were removed at the time of the dental work, disrupting the life cycle of the mites. Unfortunately the soft tissues were not preserved and the only evidence is indirect. Measurements of the skull ridges where the tonsils attach tend to support this theory, although it is difficult to know whether they represent tonsillectomy-induced changes or simply a natural variation in an isolated population.

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  11. Re:Where the heck is by hey! · · Score: 2, Funny

    Recently deciphered cave painting:

    Today Only! Special Two for one Special:

    You're already in pain, and it's going to get worse before it gets better. So why not get Trepanned while your tooth is extracted?

    "My molars were killing me," said one satisfied customer,"and I'd always wanted to have a hole drilled in my skull, so I said to myself, 'You're going to pass out from unbearable pain anyway, so why not?' Now I get respect like never before. I tell my hunting buddies that I lost my teeth in a fight with a cave bear. And confidentially, the hole in my head is a big success with the ladies, if you get my drift. Thank you Flint Dentistry!"

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  12. Re:Drills to remove cavities? by Tablizer · · Score: 2, Funny

    You, Sir, are qualified to be in management.

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