Index
- Introduction -Herodotous and the ancient Egyptian civilization -Egyptian language and its interpretation -Information & data concerning ancient dentistry -Ancient Egyptians dentists - Ancient Egyptians medical tools -Ancient Egyptians dental diseases -The Egyptian medical papyri -Egyptians medical recipes& interventions -The use of Modern science and Technology -Conclusion
Introduction
- Ancient Egyptians were skilled in medicine in different fields known today - The profession of dental physician existed since the early third millennium - Physicians were specialized for specific diseases or organs, some dealt with eye, head and some with teeth or belly etc. -Lioness Sekhmet was believed to bring epidemics and disease. She was also the patroness deity of doctors, other Gods and Goddesses for the diseases, ex., Gods Amun and Horus were responsible for treatment of eye diseases etc., -Imhotep was chief vizier to Zozer, high priest, astrologist, pyramid designer, a physician, the founder of medicine, Egyptianssw believed that he had great healing powers, and considered him as a God of medicine. -Since the 1st dynasty (3150 2925 BC), medical institutes called peri-ankh or houses of life existed as teaching centers, and in those houses medical books and papyri were written and preserved. -A code of ethics was followed, with an oath was made by physicians. In the tomb of Nenkh-Sekhmet, Chief of Physicians in the 5th dynasty, the following sentense is written: Never did I do anything evil towards any person.
Born : c.484 BC Halicarnassus, Caria, Asia Minor Died : c.425 BC (aged approximately 60) Thurii, Calabria or Pella, Macedon
HERODOTUS, mentioned that 'The practice of medicine in Egypt is so divided among them, that each physician is a healer of one disease and no more. All the country is full of physicians, some of the eye, some of the teeth, some of what pertains to the belly, and some of the hidden diseases
an ancient Greek historian who was born in Halicarnassus, Caria (modern day Bodrum, Turkey) He has been called the "Father of History", and was the first historian known to collect his materials systematically, and test their accuracy to a certain extent and arrange them
In the fifth century B.C. Herodotus remarked on the degree of specialisation he found in Egypt. Most of the known specialist medical titles were carried by a certain Ir-en-akhty except for dentists who carried the separate title ibeh
nonsensical allegorical translations (Lingua Aegyptical restituta, 1643). -Thomas Young (1773 -1829), the author of the undulatory theory of light, assigned correct phonetical values to five hieroglyphic signs .
Athanasius Kircher
-Finding the Rosetta stone was the final decipherment, starting in 1822, by the work of the Frenchman Jean-Franois Champollion, 1790 - 1832, cf. Prcis du systme hiroglyphique des anciens gyptiens par M.Champollion le jeune, 1824.
Samples of three different scripts on the Rosetta Stone Top: Heiroglyphs; Middle: Demotic; Bottom: Greek
Hieroglyphic details, including eye and tusk symbols representing dentistry profession chiseled on the entrance of the tomb honoring 3 dentists served the nobility in ancient Egypt-Iy Mry -the chief dentist is pictured on the wall ,thus the swallow, tusk and arrow, meant 'chief dentist and doctor
Modern investigations employ virtually nondestructive techniques to study disease in mummies, members of the Manchester Mummy Project used endoscope to take tissue samples from the mouth of a mummy. Manchester Museum, University of Manchester)
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The earliest evidence of ancient dentistry we have is an amazingly detailed dental work on a mummy from ancient Egypt that archaeologists have dated to 2000 BCE. The work shows intricate gold work around the teeth. The two donor teeth had holes drilled into them, wires were strung through the holes and then around the neighboring teeth.
El-Quatta Bridge'
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Upper jaw of Tao II Seqenenre. The teeth are heavily worn, healthy and tartar free
Dental Surgery, Jaw of ancient Egyptian showing drill holes used in dental repair. Courtesy of the Gordon Museum
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Attrition
Ancient Egyptian mandible c. 1,500 BC. Courtesy of Duckworth Collection, Cambridge University
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study of more than 3,000 mummies has revealed a nightmare array of dental diseases.
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Peseshet
Imhotep
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Wall of twin temple of Com Ombo temple with surgical instruments carvings and queen in labor on an obstetric chair
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(1) knives; (2) drill; (3) saw; (4) forceps or pincers; (5) censer; (6) hooks; (7) bags tied with string; (8, 10) beaked vessel; (11) vase with burning incense; (12) Horus eyes; (13) scales; (14) pot with flowers of Upper and Lower Egypt; (15) pot on pedestal; (16) graduated cubit or papyrus scroll without side knot (or a case holding reed scalpels); (17) shears; (18) spoons.
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Wooden tools
Bronze tools
Iron tools
Stone tools
Copper tools
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root caries on the mandibular right third molar [left] and left first molar [right
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A skull showing severe periodontal disease, antemortem tooth loss, Calculus formation and apical abscesses
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The first medical texts, date from late 12th Dynasty to 20th Dynasty (20001090B.C), and there are Several Egyptian medical papyri and the most important of all are as follows: -The Kahun Gynecological Papyrus (1820B.C) gynecology
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Hearst Papyrus
London Papyrus
Berlin Papyrus
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colocynth
Dates
Mandragoe (Mandrake)
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Beans
Spices
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The gold wire is 0.35 m in diameter, its tubular construction is demonstrated by the seam along its length. Magnification x8 of some of the fractured ends revealed its central bore.
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Magnetic resonance based 3-dimensional reconstruction CT scan of the skull at the level of the posterior fossa in an excellent condition of maxillary teeth with no discernible enamel wear. The right third molar is partially erupted indicating that the individual was young at death
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frontal reconstruction of dentition damaged mesial neck of teeth 15 and 27 due to caries (arrows)
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Conclusion
Ancient Egyptians were pioneers in various field of science and knowledge and most probably what we know about them is just a little of what they had and more will be known and discovered through excavations, discoveries, use of technology, etc., Great appreciation to our ancestors, makers of civilization hoping to follow their lead enlighting and enriching life with useful science.
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