[Fortunes and misfortunes of a metal]. / Venturas y desventuras de un metal.

The history of amalgam (which essentially consists of mercury and silver) is briefly reviewed, from its origin through different civilizations. The various ways by which silver was extracted during colonial times are mentioned; credit for invention of the method, however, still remains unknown. Finally, the study lists the purposes for which the amalgam was originally used, mainly for the benefit of the mining industry, and only much later introduced into medicine and hence onto odontology.

[Esthetic dentistry in the prehispanic world]. / Estética dental en el mundo prehispánico.

The dental practices found by Spaniards in the new world in the sixteenth century were totally different from the ones done in Europe at that time. They were of two types, ornamental and curative. This paper displays the diverse types of ornamental dental practices performed in pre-Hispanic America, which have nothing to do with the concept of Odontology, as the object of these practices was to impart a type of dental aesthetics different from the classical concept of beauty. Outstanding among such practices were inlays, filing and polishing of teeth, and their pigmentation.