(the tooth worm)

I found these when I was researching my 'Bad tooth faerie) I'm unsure of the artist but they date back to the 1700's

Originally I just loved the aesthetic of a tiny world been housed inside a tooth (they aren't real teeth i should point out) But then I found out that they were apparently created to fit in with a creation myth that states the reason we get tooth ache is due to the tooth worm that lives inside our teeth, it was basically a battle of hell (represented by the tooth worm) and heaven as the good Samaritans fighting the tooth worm. I'm always intrigued by things that have meaning behind them and this appealed to me due to its macabre twisted faerie tale like approach.