Show Me the Mummy: USC Orthodontist Investigates 2,000-Year-Old Girl

Los Angeles Downtown News ^ | April 2, 2007 | Ben Creighton

[SunkenCiv]

His patient was the mummy of a 4- or 5-year-old Egyptian girl. Wrapped and embalmed two millennia ago in North Africa, she called the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum in San Jose, Calif., her home for the past 75 years... Utilizing three-dimensional imaging software used in the School of Dentistry's orthodontic clinic, Mah and Jack Choi of Anatomage - manufacturer of the software - discovered tooth fragments lodged in the throat and the nasal pharynx of the mummy... Using image slices from the region where the tooth was dislodged, Mah was able to record bone density measurements to surmise that the girl most likely suffered from advanced dental disease. These observations have led Mah and Choi to suggest that this infection - for which the Egyptians had no cure - may have spread throughout the body.

[SunkenCiv]

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Using 3D scans like this one, USC orthodontist James Mah was able to record bone density measurements in an Egyptian mummy. Image courtesy USC HSC Weekly.

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[SunkenCiv]

Tooth all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list. Thanks.

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[bannie]

At 2000 years old, I’d hardly call her a “girl”!

OTOH...if you do, then I’m a mere infant!!!

OK...I like it.

:-)

[SunkenCiv]

I’m sure the orthodontist will find a way to bridge the gap.

[rimshot!]

[Fred Nerks]

"When you compare the density of the bone from the area where the teeth are missing and compare it to the other side of the jaw, you can see it was less dense. This suggests to us that there was likely dental disease or infection," said Mah. "This poor child likely died of dental disease. You can never be 100% sure, but this is pretty good evidence."

ok, that did it...I've just made that dental appointment I've been putting off, don't wanna die like and egyptian.

[bannie]

ba-DUMP-bump!

[F.J. Mitchell]

That can’t be capped....or can it? ;-)

[SunkenCiv]

We’d better be denture of what we’re doing.

[F.J. Mitchell]

That’s right, dadGUMit.