Intentional Dental Modification

Abstract

Abstract Teeth have long been a focus of body modification as a visible and durable medium for communication with others through tooth removal (ablation), or alteration of tooth appearance by imbedding inlays, dyeing or painting the tooth crown, or shaping the occlusal or labial surfaces or both. One or more of these techniques for modification of the dentition have been employed on every populated continent at some point for the past twenty thousand years. Given the geographic and temporal distribution of intentional dental modification, the immense variability in such practices cannot be surprising. This chapter provides an overview of the primary types of intentional dental modification and discusses their classification and identification. It also reviews the geographic and temporal distribution of intentional dental modification worldwide and discusses the cultural significance and implications of these practices.