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A recent anthropological study found evidence of invasive dental treatments on a Neanderthal molar roughly 59,000 years ago. For Remote Area Medical (RAM®), this ancient discovery is a reminder that dental care has always been important. Tooth pain is not only a modern problem.
Dental care is an essential part of our wellbeing that affects quality of life and overall health. That is why RAM offers free dental care across the country, helping patients overcome the cost and access barriers that keep them from treatment.
The Discovery
Anthropologists recently studied a 59,000-year-old impacted tooth discovered in Siberia. The study suggests the hole on the chewing surface of the tooth was made intentionally, not caused by accidental damage. Researchers believe it was likely made with a small stone tool using a rotating or drilling motion.
To test the theory, researchers recreated similar marks on modern human teeth. The results were consistent with the Neanderthal tooth, supporting the idea that the tooth was created intentionally as part of a dental procedure.
The research also suggests the affected individual lived for a considerable amount of time after the procedure. Researchers believe the hole may have been filled with a substance such as wax, though they were unable to find evidence confirming the theory.
From Ancient Tooth Pain to Modern Dental Care
This discovery changed the timeline of dentistry that led to modern dental care. It also reveals that people have been trying to relieve dental pain for a very long time.
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Before this discovery, there was no evidence of Neanderthals having knowledge or skills to treat teeth in this way. According to the American Dental Association, one of the earliest recorded references to dentistry came from Sumerian text around 5000 B.C., which describes dental decay.
This discovery of the ancient tooth shows that dental pain has been part of the human experience for thousands of years. And for just as long, people have searched for relief.
Why Dental Pain Doesn’t Go Away
Long before modern dentistry, this discovery suggests that Neanderthals may have performed dental treatments. Researchers believe the procedure may have been done to relieve pain from a cavity [Reuters].
Since the ancient procedure was performed, one thing remains the same: if left untreated, dental issues such as cavities, infections, and dental abscesses can leave people with relentless pain.
At RAM Clinics, we often meet patients who have lived with severe dental pain for years.
Scott came to a RAM Clinic after living with dental pain for 15 years. He needed treatment for an infected tooth that had been causing so much pain he could hardly eat. Randy came to RAM after nearly 50 years without seeing a dentist. By then, he had multiple cavities that needed care.
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Sources
Zubova AV, Zotkina LV, Olsen JW, Kulkov AM, Moiseyev VG, Malyutina AA, et al. (2026) Earliest evidence for invasive mitigation of dental caries by Neanderthals. PLoS One 21(5): e0347662. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0347662
Photo Credit: Zubova et al., PloS One (2026)
