A systematic review of more than 3,000 CT scans of mummies analyses reveal ancient Egyptians suffered from periodontal diseases, abscesses, and cavities, according to a story by Discovery News.
It was the first systematic review of all studies performed on Egyptian mummies in the past 30 years, the story noted.
After examining research of more than 3,000 mummies, anatomists and paleopathologists at the University of Zurich concluded that 18% of all mummies studied had "a nightmare array of dental diseases," according to Discovery News.
Published in the Journal of Comparative Human Biology (September 2009, Vol. 60:5, pp. 405-427), the review takes into consideration all studies published since 1977, when computed tomography was first applied to ancient Egyptian mummies.
