SWEDEN: Around 170 people from Varnhem recently underwent thorough dental examinations. These patients needed no numbing agents, however, as they had been dead for more than 800 years. This study of the dental habits of the Viking community at Varnhem from the 10th to 12th century indicated that around half suffered from at least 1 cavity and, on average, adults had lost 6 percent of their teeth. Evidence of deep drilling in some molars also revealed that Vikings were capable of alleviating severe pressure from infection.