Researchers examined teeth from Swedish Viking remains and found that in addition to evidence of cavities and tooth loss, they also used surprisingly advanced dental methods not unlike modern methods of relieving toothaches. This research provides a rare insight into Viking life and an important basis for understanding our ancestors.
In 2005, archaeologists discovered thousands of graves in Varnham, Sweden, dating from the 10th to 12th centuries, near the remains of the country's oldest known stone church. The excavated jaws and teeth are so well preserved that they provide valuable evidence about daily life, including general health, dental health and disease, at this unique early Christian Viking settlement.
To date, there are only a handful of published studies on the dental health of Swedish Vikings. Therefore, researchers from the Institute of Dentistry at the University of Gothenburg seized the opportunity and, in collaboration with orthopedic experts from the Västergötlands Museum, where the skeletons are deposited, studied the teeth to uncover their secrets.
"This study provides new insights into Viking oral health and shows how important teeth were in the Viking culture of Varnum," said Carolina Bertilsson, first and corresponding author of the study. "It also suggests that Viking Age dentistry may have been more complex than previously thought."
The researchers examined 3,293 teeth from 171 Vikings, including complete sets and partial teeth. Of these, 133 are permanent teeth and 38 are deciduous teeth or a mixture of the two. They used standard dental tools, clinically studied the chopped teeth under bright light, and took X-rays using the same technology used in modern dental surgery.
They found that nearly half (49 per cent) of people had at least one carious lesion, which is the visible damage caused by bacteria to the hard tooth structure. Extensive decay suggests that some Vikings' teeth were in pain until their death because the decay had almost reached the pulp, the innermost layer of the tooth that contains nerves and blood vessels. In addition, 13% of adult teeth are affected by dental caries or cavities. Caries occurs mainly on the root surface of the teeth and is commonly found in the mandibular first molar, which is a tooth in the lower part of the back jaw that is mainly used for grinding food. On average, 6% of adults lose their teeth during their lifetime (excluding wisdom teeth), and 4% of teeth show signs of dental infection. Young people, those with deciduous or mixed teeth, do not have cavities.
Taken together, the findings suggest that dental caries, tooth infections and toothaches were common among the Vikings of Varnum. But what intrigued the researchers most was the various ways they observed the Vikings trying to protect their teeth.
"There are several signs that Vikings modified their teeth, including the use of toothpicks, filing of front teeth, and even dental treatment of infected teeth," Bertilsson said.
Researchers found that one molar had a neatly filed hole in the crown that led from the crown into the pulp - much like modern dental techniques, which the researchers say may have been done to reduce pressure and relieve toothache caused by infection.
"It's very exciting and not dissimilar to the dental treatments we do today by drilling holes into infected teeth," Bertilsson said. "The Vikings seemed to have some knowledge of teeth, but we don't know if they did it themselves or if they had help."
On the teeth of several individuals, wear marks indicated a habit of using toothpicks to remove food from between the teeth. In a man aged 35 to 50 years, we can see the deliberate and skillful use of files to shape the front teeth, a practice also seen in other Viking Age men, mainly Swedish men. Although the reason for the modification is unknown, some believe it is a status mark.
"These findings provide us with an extraordinary glimpse into a long-lost world and a rare and important understanding of life and death of our ancestors and the Viking Age," the researchers said.
The research was published in the journal PLOSONE.