[Compositional analysis of two metal crowns and its cements unearthed from a Ming Dynasty grave in China by SEM].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the prosthodontic level of our country in Ming Dynasty (from A. D. 1368 to A. D. 1644) and provide our courtry's history of stomatological development with some details.


METHODS
By means of range estimation and SEM, the structure and shape of the metal crowns on the two human teeth which were unearthed from a Ming Dynasty grave, numbered 0754/0046 and stored in Wujin museum of Jiangsu province, as well as the compositions of the crowns and its cements were examined and analysed preliminarily.


RESULTS
The two teeth looked like upper anterior teeth and no marks of preparations were observed. The golden-yellow metal crowns might have been hammered and welded into shape. The spectrum analysis of SEM showed the crowns were made from gold-copper alloy and the cements contains Zinc.


CONCLUSIONS
The defects of teeth could have been restored with extra-hard gold-copper alloy and cement luting materials during A. D. 1500-1600 in China.
Wang
X
X
Dental School of Shanghai, TieDao University, Shanghai 200072.
Wu
S
S
Zheng
G
G
D002681:China; D003442:Crowns / Q000266:history*; D003738:Dental Cements / Q000737:chemistry / Q000266:history*; D049669:History, 16th Century; D006801:Humans; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
D003738:Dental Cements