32 Items Tagged

Teeth

Kaohsiung City, Taiwan

Buddha's Tooth Relic

At a museum dedicated to the millenia-old rites and art of Buddhism, the Buddha's reputed tooth is held as an object of worship.

Meet the Giant Salmon With a Weaponized Mustache

Spike-toothed salmon grew nearly nine feet long and sported tusk-like teeth.

Roxanne Hoorn April 24, 2024

Using teeth as tools likely led to early tooth decay.

Ancient Gum Reveals Stone-Age Teens Chewed on Bones and Made Poison

And had some pretty bad oral health.

Olivia Young January 24, 2024

Mexico City, Mexico

La Muelita (The Little Molar)

A small building that loosely resembles a tooth is appropriately used as a dentist office.

Like something out of a storybook, maybe? At least until you look a little closer.

Found: An 18th-Century Garden Folly Adorned With Teeth and Bones

A bit disturbing, but oddly lovely.

Matthew Taub July 22, 2021

Displays at the Weaver Dental Museum include a jumble of dentures.

6 Fascinating Medical Marvels in Pennsylvania

50 States of Wonder

That mouth is full of info for scientists to chew on.

Sea Otter Teeth Are Gross but Really Useful for Scientists

You don’t want to look an old sea otter in the mouth—unless you want to tell how old it is.

Jessica Leigh Hester July 27, 2020

A 3D model of the extinct marsupial <em>Thylacosmilus atrox</em>.

Why Did This Ancient Marsupial Have Saber Teeth?

Turns out they're useful if you want to slurp up your food.

Isaac Schultz June 26, 2020

Austen's observations about grisly dental procedures might make your mouth hurt.

For Sale: Jane Austen’s Wince-Inducing Descriptions of 19th-Century Dentistry

In a letter to her sister, the novelist politely recounts a grisly scene.

Jessica Leigh Hester October 16, 2019

One of the jawbones came from the Corinium Museum in Cirencester, England.

Found: The Earliest Direct Evidence of Milk Consumption

Lactose intolerance was no match for a prehistoric desire for dairy.

Anne Ewbank September 10, 2019

Video • Object of Intrigue

The Real Story Behind George Washington's Dentures

The Neanderthal premolar unearthed in Wezmeh Cave.

An Iranian Cave, a Neanderthal Tooth, And an Ice-Age Murder Mystery

Lions, cave bears, and leopards, oh my!

Isaac Schultz August 27, 2019

A sampling of the teeth found in the Pit of Bones.

These Tiny Teeth Suggest Neanderthals Evolved Earlier Than We Thought

They came from Spain’s eerie “Pit of Bones.”

Sabrina Imbler May 16, 2019

Yes, that's a venomous fang.

A Hunter-Gatherer Ate an Entire Rattlesnake and We Have the Poop to Prove It

"We know that the person must have lived to the point of defecation."

Matthew Taub April 24, 2019

A giant sloth tooth.

Found: A Giant Sloth Tooth in a 200-Foot-Deep Sinkhole

The bone helps to explain how the creature stuck around for more than 10,000 years.

Matthew Taub February 27, 2019

The teeth looked unremarkable at first glance, but blue pigments jumped out under the microscope.

How a Blue Tooth Led Scholars to a Medieval Manuscript Mystery

And illuminated the hidden contributions of a female artist.

Jessica Leigh Hester January 9, 2019

The pickles in the jar represent the headlines we passed on, but still want to preserve.

Headlines You Didn't See on Atlas Obscura in 2018

Spicier alternative titles for some of our stories.

Ella Morton December 28, 2018

9,500-year-old chewed-up birch bark contains the DNA of ancient Scandinavian hunter-gatherers.

Why Scientists Are Studying 9,500-Year-Old Chewing Gum

Back then, it was used as adhesive for tools and weapons.

Anna Kusmer December 13, 2018