Calling Dr Yankem

Whoa! Don't tell your favorite dentist - or any hooker - but "paid escort" is not really the oldest profession in the world, although books and advice columns always present it as such.

No, it turns out that people have been doing dentistry - although maybe not with fancy offices and Muzak and outdated Yachting magazines in the waiting room - since people first had teeth.

Scientists now have evidence of teeth being drilled in skulls that dates from 7,500 to 9,000 years ago.

Ogg and Mogg, the prehistoric couple, had holes in their teeth made by some sort of prehistoric bow-drill.

Researchers at the University of Bologna, Italy examined a 14,000-year-old skull and found that "one rotten tooth in the jaw had been deliberately scoured and scraped with a tool," says the BBC. That makes dentistry one of the oldest recorded professions and is definitely a reason to smile.

Imagine if you will, a world without toothpaste, toothbrushes, dental floss, and toothpicks. And then imagine Barney Rubble with a bow drill, saying. "Say ahhhhhhhhh, Fred!" 

Ancient bow-drill, as used by ancient Egyptians

"Look, Ma, no cavities!"