( CNN ) -- Have you ever wondered what is inside your dental plaque ? Probably not . But this question is now being asked not only by dentists , but also by archaeologists . As a molecular archaeologist , I research the origins and evolution of human disease by conducting genetic research on the skeletal and mummified remains of ancient peoples . By extracting DNA from ancient human bones , we can reconstruct the human genome at different times in the past and look for differences that might be related to adaptations , risk factors , or inherited diseases . The aim is to better understand the evolutionary vulnerabilities of the human body so that we can better manage and improve our health in the future . But this only tells us half of the story . Many of today 's most important health challenges are not caused by simple mutations in the human genome , but result from a complex interplay between genetic variation , diet , microbes and parasites , and our own immune response . Diseases and disorders such as periodontitis , heart disease , allergies , diabetes and irritable bowel syndrome , among others , have a strong evolutionary component directly related to the fact that we live in a very different environment than the one in which our bodies evolved . To better understand these diseases , we need to move past studies of the human genome alone toward a more holistic approach that takes into account human health in the past . But how do we do this , and , most importantly , where can we obtain this information ? Skeletons are ubiquitous and preserve for long periods of time . Of course , all of the soft tissues have decomposed . The skeleton alone gives us limited information . Mummies are another option , but they are very limited in number and geographical distribution . In the case of Egyptian mummies , they have had all their internal organs removed . Coprolites , or fossilized human feces , which can be found in dry caves , can provide detailed information about diet and intestinal disease . But they are generally quite rare . Ted.com : Carl Schoonover : How to look inside the brain . To tackle this problem , I put together an international team of researchers in Switzerland , Denmark , and Britain to investigate a largely ignored and little-studied type of fossilized dental plaque that has recently shown promise in microscopy studies . Its technical name is dental calculus , but many people know it by the term , tartar . It is a partially mineralized accretion of bacterial gunk and food debris that build up on teeth over time . At an average dental cleaning you may have about 10-30 mg removed , but in eras before modern dentistry , as much as 600 mg could build up on the teeth over a lifetime . Dental calculus fossilizes just like the rest of the skeleton and can persist for tens of thousands of years . It is abundant in eras before dental hygiene , and it is ubiquitous . It is found in every human population , and it is even found among Neanderthals and animals . Previously , microscopy studies had identified all sorts of things entrapped within ancient dental calculus , including plant microfossils ( pollen , starches , phytoliths and fibers ) and a diverse array of bacterial cells . Our team is taking this research a step further to ask whether we can also recover DNA and proteins that can tell us more about the health status and diets of ancient humans . Ted.com : Louise Leakey digs for humanity 's origins . What we have found so far is that we can identify many bacterial species that inhabited the mouth and nasal passages , immunological proteins associated with inflammation and infection , and biomolecular indicators of foods that were consumed . Interestingly , we have also found bacteria that inhabit the lungs and gastrointestinal tract , thereby granting us virtual access to the previously inaccessible and long decomposed respiratory and digestive systems . Thus , the fossilized plaque can tell us about diet , immunity and pathogens not just in the mouth but throughout the body . Ted.com : Alan Russell on regenerating our bodies . By applying advanced DNA sequencing and protein mass spectrometry technologies to ancient dental calculus , we can begin to reconstruct a detailed picture of the dynamic interplay between diet , infection and immunity that occurred thousands of years ago . This allows us to investigate the long-term evolutionary history of human health and disease , right down to the genetic code of individual pathogens , and it can teach us about how pathogens evolve and why they continue to make us sick . Our research is ongoing , and we expect to recover even more health and dietary information as we continue to refine our methodology and investigate a broader range of ancient populations . As final food for thought , I urge you to think twice the next time you brush your teeth . Your mouth is full of valuable information . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Christina Warinner .
Christina Warinner : Dental information is valuable information . Studying genome is n't enough ; we need to study evolution of human diseases , she says . Warinner : By extracting DNA from fossilized tartar , we learn about diseases of ancient humans . She says understanding our evolutionary vulnerabilities will help us improve our health .