Dental fillings in Civil War skulls: what do they tell us?

This article discusses the dental techniques, methods and materials used in the South during the Civil War based on the dental restorations found in the skulls of four confederate soldiers. The skulls display a variety of dental filling materials, including thorium, lead, tin and tin amalgam. These materials were used at a time when more valuable materials, such as gold and silver, were not readily available in the South.