Periodontal disease has been one of the major oral health problems of the human race since the Stone Age. Many studies conducted on skeletal remains of populations from different time periods have established the presence of destructive periodontal diseases with alveolar bone loss and/or tooth loss. The aim of this review article is to present several studies, covering a wide range of time periods, localities and populations, that paint a picture of the severity and prevalence of historic periodontal conditions
