What can historical dental prostheses tell us about medical practices of the past?

In a recent article published in the International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, researchers present the first documented case of a bone-anchored dental prosthesis in Portugal — a remarkable find from an archaeological site in Porto, dating from the 18th/19th century.

The discovery sheds new light on historical dental technologies and oral health practices in urban settings, offering a rare material glimpse into how people in the past addressed tooth loss and dental care.

The article, titled 'A Smile From the Past: Exploring a Fixed Bone Dental Bridge From Eighteenth/Nineteenth Century Porto (Portugal)', was authored by Steffi Vassallo, Alexandra Patrícia Lopes Esteves, Sandra Assis, Zélia Rodrigues, Nicholas Márquez-Grant, Anne Malcherek, Manuel F. C. Pereira, Manasij Pal Chowdhury and Francisca Alves Cardoso.