Neanderthals drilled cavities to treat a toothache 59,000 years ago

“Every time I go to the dentist, I think about that guy,” researcher says.

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[equals42]

I wonder if and how they sealed the canal(s). In a root canal they remove the infected pulp but also sterilize the canal and seal it to prevent infection from moving up into the tissues above the tooth. Maybe it just heals itself if left open like any wound? The patient apparently lived with it for years afterward.