While we owe the ancient Egyptians a lot — the 365-day calendar, an early decimal system, massive public-works projects — who knew they were pioneers in dental care?

Archaeologists have discovered the 4,000-year-old tombs of three dentists. The markings suggest they were valued members of the community and probably looked after the teeth of the pharaohs and of their families. The hieroglyph for a dentist, in case anybody wants to run up some stationery, is an eye over a tusk. The names of the three dentists, a senior partner and two junior associates, were Iy Mry, Kem Msw and Sekhem Ka Hawass, eerily similar to the names of modern dentists when pronounced through a Novocain-numbed mouth packed with suction devices and Dr. Msw’s drill.

The tombs were protected by a curse. Would-be robbers were warned: Violate these tombs and you will be eaten by a crocodile and a snake. We would have thought the threat of a root canal would have been sufficient.

OK, nothing new here at all but I liked the title!

Did King Tut have crowns on teeth?, East Valley Tribune, Arizona, USA, October 30, 2006.