Pyrrhus of Epirus, widely respected and feared by his contemporaries, was a legendary figure in the ancient world. In this paper, we investigate Plutarch's description of the king's unique dental pathology. There are several possibilities to explain the ancient king's presentation, including several different types of developmental dysplasia. However, our conclusion is that it was likely due to a significant dental calculus overgrowth, often seen in the ancient Greek diet of the time. Whatever the underlying cause, Pyrrhus' intimidating visage helped secure the king a legacy that lasts to this day.
Keywords: ancient medicine; calculus overgrowth; dental anomalies; developmental dysplasia; history; pyrrhus.
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