Neanderthals had the know-how to identify a tooth infection and the motor skills to drill out the damage, according to a study published May 13, 2026, in the open-access journal PLOS One by Alisa Zubova of Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography, Russian Academy of Sciences (Kunstkamera), St. Petersburg, and colleagues.
That’s true enough, but also not reliable. There are not perfectly rotten fruits lying around at all times and places to be used for tooth surgery.
There are if you start taking them with you because funny fruit makes you feel good.