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Towle I, Davenport C, Irish JD, De Groote I. High frequency of dental caries and calculus in dentitions from a British medieval town. Arch Oral Biol 2023; 155:105777. [PMID: 37556981 DOI: 10.1016/j.archoralbio.2023.105777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Dental pathology and tooth wear data can offer valuable insights into the diet and behaviour of past populations. This study aimed to investigate the presence of dietary continuity by examining different types of dental pathology and tooth wear in a medieval sample from the United Kingdom, comparing them to earlier and later samples from the same location. DESIGN A comprehensive examination was conducted on 41 individuals (comprising 914 permanent teeth) retrieved from the medieval cemetery of St. Owens Church in Southgate Street, Gloucester, UK. The research focused on documenting and analysing various types of dental pathology and tooth wear, such as dental caries, calculus, and tooth chipping. The frequency of these specific pathologies and wear patterns was then compared to existing literature. Additionally, non-masticatory tooth wear was also evaluated as part of the study. RESULTS The sample exhibits high levels of carious lesions and calculus (24 % and 74 % of teeth respectively). Anterior teeth also show an elevated chipping frequency, and along with occlusal notches on the maxillary central incisors suggest teeth were regularly used for non-masticatory purposes. CONCLUSIONS Caries frequency is similar to sites from later periods and may relate to the early adoption of consuming refined carbohydrates. However, remains from the same area, but the earlier Roman period, also shows high rates of caries and calculus, suggesting a continuation of consuming certain cariogenic foods, or certain behavioural/environmental factors, may instead be responsible for these pathology and wear patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian Towle
- Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology, School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, John Moores University, Liverpool L3 3AF, United Kingdom.
| | - Carole Davenport
- Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology, School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, John Moores University, Liverpool L3 3AF, United Kingdom; Blake Emergency Services, Disley SK12 2DZ, United Kingdom
| | - Joel D Irish
- Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology, School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, John Moores University, Liverpool L3 3AF, United Kingdom; Evolutionary Studies Institute and Centre for Excellence in PaleoSciences, Private Bag 3, WITS 2050, South Africa
| | - Isabelle De Groote
- Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology, School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, John Moores University, Liverpool L3 3AF, United Kingdom; Ghent University, Department of Archaeology, Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat 35, B-9000 Gent, Belgium
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Towle I, Irish JD, Sabbi KH, Loch C. Dental caries in wild primates: Interproximal cavities on anterior teeth. Am J Primatol 2021; 84:e23349. [PMID: 34855230 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Dental caries has been reported in a variety of primates, although it is still considered rare in wild populations. In this study, 11 catarrhine primate taxa (n = 339 individuals; 7946 teeth) were studied for the presence of caries. A differential diagnosis of lesions in interproximal regions of anterior teeth was undertaken, since they had been previously described as both carious and non-carious in origin. Each permanent tooth was examined macroscopically, with severity and position of lesions recorded. Two specimens were examined further, using micro-CT scans to assess demineralization. Differential diagnosis confirmed the cariogenic nature of interproximal cavities on anterior teeth (ICATs). Overall results show 3.3% of all teeth (i.e., anterior and posterior teeth combined) were carious (n = 262), with prevalence varying among species from 0% to >7% of teeth affected. Those with the highest prevalence of ICATs include Pan troglodytes verus (9.8% of anterior teeth), Gorilla gorilla gorilla (2.6%), Cercopithecus denti (22.4%), Presbytis femoralis (19.5%), and Cercopithecus mitis (18.3%). ICATs make up 87.9% of carious lesions on anterior teeth. These results likely reflect dietary and food processing differences among species, but also between the sexes (e.g., 9.3% of all female P. troglodytes verus teeth were carious vs. 1.8% in males). Processing cariogenic fruits and seeds with the anterior dentition (e.g., wadging) likely contributes to ICAT formation. Further research is needed in living primate populations to ascertain behavioral/dietary influences on caries occurrence. Given the presence of ICATs in frugivorous primates, their diagnosis in archaeological and paleontological specimens may shed light on diet and food processing behaviors in fossil primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian Towle
- Sir John Walsh Research Institute, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Joel D Irish
- Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology, School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK.,The Centre for the Exploration of the Deep Human Journey, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Kris H Sabbi
- Department of Anthropology and Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA
| | - Carolina Loch
- Sir John Walsh Research Institute, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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Prevalence of dental caries in the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age populations from Żerniki Górne (Poland). ANTHROPOLOGICAL REVIEW 2021. [DOI: 10.2478/anre-2021-0016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
The aim of the studies is to describe the prevalence and distribution of dental caries in two populations from Żerniki Górne (Poland). The first population represented the Corded Ware Culture (CWC) (2550–2350 BC), and the second population belonged to the Trzciniec Culture (TC) (1300–1000 BC). While the TC is identified with a typically agricultural strategy, the CWC culture strategy is still debatable. Two types of strategies are indicated in the CWC, either a mixed or typical agricultural economy.
A total of 110 adults were examined, of which 29 represented the CWC and 81 belonged to the TC. A total of 1132 permanent teeth were examined (CWC 379, TC 753).
Of the 110 individuals, 54 individuals had dental caries (CWC 19/29, 66%; TC 35/81, 43%). In the CWC, 68% (13/19) of males and 60% (6/10) of females had dental caries. In the younger period (TC), the percentage of dental caries among males was little higher (45%) than among females (41%). Dental caries was identified in 13% (50/379) of the teeth from the CWC. In the TC, the percentage of affected teeth were similar (11%, 82/753). The most common location of caries in all the chronological periods were the approximal and cemento-enamel junction [CEJ] surfaces. Caries on the occlusal surface was much less frequent. If we assume that an important cause of the development of dental caries is a high-carbohydrate diet, we can conclude that a similar prevalence of teeth affected by caries and it locations indicate a similar management strategy in both populations.
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Perry MA, Lieurance AJ. The Nabataean Urban Experiment and Dental Disease and Childhood Stress. BIOARCHAEOLOGY AND SOCIAL THEORY 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-53417-2_17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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Seiler R, Piombino-Mascali D, Rühli F. Dental investigation of mummies from the Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo (circa 18th-19th century CE). HOMO-JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE HUMAN BIOLOGY 2017. [PMID: 28625342 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchb.2017.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Within the framework of the Sicily Mummy Project, the orofacial complex of a significant sample of individuals (n=111) from the Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo, Italy, was inspected. The heads and dentitions of the mummies were documented and the recorded findings described: the state of preservation of skeletal and soft tissues; dental pathologies such as carious lesions and alveolar bone loss; enamel hypoplasia; and ante- and post-mortem tooth loss. Despite limitations in data collection, the oral health of these mummies was assessed and the frequencies of pathologies were compared to those of similar populations. From their position within the corridors of the Catacombs, sex and social status of the mummies were also inferred, allowing the dental pathologies to be specified in the social and historical context. Most interestingly, the rate of oral health problems did not differ between the groups of the members of the Capuchin Order and the laymen of the city of Palermo, despite their different lifestyles.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Seiler
- Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, Winterthurerstrasse 190, University of Zurich, CH-8051 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - D Piombino-Mascali
- Department of Cultural Heritage and of Sicilian Identity, Sicilian Region, Via delle Croci 8, I-90139 Palermo, Italy; Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphological and Functional Imaging, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria 1, I-98125 Messina, Italy
| | - F Rühli
- Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, Winterthurerstrasse 190, University of Zurich, CH-8051 Zurich, Switzerland
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Caglar E, Görgülü M, Kuscu OO. Dental Caries and Tooth Wear in a Byzantine Paediatric Population (7th to 10th Centuries AD) from Yenikapı-Constantinople, Istanbul. Caries Res 2016; 50:394-9. [PMID: 27434720 DOI: 10.1159/000447066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2015] [Accepted: 05/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Dental caries and wear are important conditions to record in archaeological collections. The aim of the present paper is to determine the frequency and distribution of dental caries and dental wear in a mediaeval Byzantine paediatric population in Yenikapı, Constantinople, Istanbul. The present research was carried out on the skeletal remains of 1 infant and 28 children with a total of 180 teeth (113 primary and 67 permanent teeth). The frequency of ante-mortem tooth loss in the sample was 1%. The total frequency of carious lesions in the sample was 2.2%. The frequency of dental wear was rather low (3.3%) exhibiting presence of dentin clusters mostly. The present study evaluated an archaeological collection with low dental wear and low dental caries prevalence indicating a fishing community.
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Menéndez LP. Spatial variation of dental caries in late holocene samples of Southern South America: A geostatistical study. Am J Hum Biol 2016; 28:825-836. [PMID: 27238592 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.22874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2015] [Revised: 02/17/2016] [Accepted: 05/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The spatial variation of dental caries in late Holocene southern South American populations will be analyzed using geostatistical methods. The existence of a continuous geographical pattern of dental caries variation will be tested. METHODS The author recorded dental caries in 400 individuals, collated this information with published caries data from 666 additional individuals, and calculated a Caries Index. The caries spatial distribution was evaluated by means of 2D maps and scatterplots. Geostatistical analyses were performed by calculating Moran's I, correlograms and a Procrustes analysis. RESULTS There is a relatively strong latitudinal continuous gradient of dental caries variation, especially in the extremes of the distribution. Moreover, the association between dental caries and geography was relatively high (m12 = 0.6). Although northern and southern samples had the highest and lowest frequencies of dental caries, respectively, the central ones had the largest variation and had lower rates of caries than expected. CONCLUSION The large variation in frequencies of dental caries in populations located in the center of the distribution could be explained by their subsistence strategies, characterized either by the consumption of wild cariogenic plants or cultigens (obtained locally or by exchange), a reliance on fishing, or the incorporation of plants rich in starch rather than carbohydrates. It is suggested that dental caries must be considered a multifactorial disease which results from the interaction of cultural practices and environmental factors. This can change how we understand subsistence strategies as well as how we interpret dental caries rates. Am. J. Hum. Biol., 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 28:825-836, 2016. © 2016Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lumila Paula Menéndez
- CONICET-División Arqueología, Edificio Anexo del Museo de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Calle 122 y 160, La Plata, 1900, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Griffin MC. Biocultural implications of oral pathology in an ancient Central California population. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2014; 154:171-88. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mark C. Griffin
- Department of Anthropology; San Francisco State University; 1600 Holloway Avenue San Francisco CA 94132
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Meng Y, Shao JL, Jiang N, Pan F, Gu YC, Zhao ZH. The frequency and distribution of caries among the Iron Age population (about 2200 years BP) buried in the Mausoleum of Emperor Qinshihuang. Arch Oral Biol 2013; 59:207-16. [PMID: 24370193 DOI: 10.1016/j.archoralbio.2013.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2013] [Revised: 11/16/2013] [Accepted: 11/24/2013] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence, distribution, and intensity of dental caries in the Iron Age population of northern China in order to increase knowledge about the type of food, dietary habit, and social stratification in this Iron Age people. MATERIALS AND METHODS The samples analyzed were dental remains of 1548 permanent teeth from 69 male individuals unearthed from the Qin archaeological site of Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum in Lintong (northern China). The sex and the age-at-death of the samples were estimated. RESULTS Overall frequency of antemortem tooth loss in the samples was 0.8%. The proportion of individuals with at least one carious tooth was 65.2%, and the frequency of carious lesions was 9.4%, both showing a trend to rise as age increased. Data obtained on dental caries and antemortem tooth loss provided a corrected rate of 9.5% of teeth with caries. The most frequent carious lesions were occlusal lesions (2.6%), followed by interproximal (2.5%) and buccal/lingual lesions (1.0%). Tooth type analysis showed that molars had the highest percentage of caries (18.6%), followed by premolars (4.5%), canines (3.0%), and incisors (3.0%). The total SRCI was 1.6, increasing with age. CONCLUSIONS These findings indicate that dental caries may be related, at least in part, to the subsistence and diet of this Iron Age population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Meng
- Department of Orthodontics, State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Stomatology Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, PR China
| | - Jin-Ling Shao
- Department of Orthodontics, School of Stomatology, The Fourth Military Medical University, 145 West Changle Road, Xi'an 710032, PR China
| | - Nan Jiang
- Department of Science and Foreign Language, Qingdao Radio and TV University, No. 16, Dalian Road, Qingdao, Shandong 266012, PR China
| | - Feng Pan
- Department of Health Statistics, School of Military Preventive Medicine, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, PR China
| | - Yong-Chun Gu
- Department of Dentistry, First People's Hospital of Wujiang, Medical School of Nantong University, Suzhou 215200, PR China
| | - Zhi-He Zhao
- Department of Orthodontics, State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Stomatology Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, PR China.
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Tomczyk J, Szostek K, Komarnitki I, Mańkowska-Pliszka H, Zalewska M. Dental caries and chemical analyses in reconstruction of diet, health and hygienic behaviour in the Middle Euphrates valley (Syria). Arch Oral Biol 2013; 58:740-51. [DOI: 10.1016/j.archoralbio.2012.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2012] [Revised: 12/13/2012] [Accepted: 12/31/2012] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Hubbe M, Torres-Rouff C, Neves WA, King LM, Da-Gloria P, Costa MA. Dental health in Northern Chile's Atacama oases: evaluating the Middle Horizon (AD 500-1000) impact on local diet. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2012; 148:62-72. [PMID: 22411074 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2011] [Accepted: 01/25/2012] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
As one of the few areas apt for horticulture in Northern Chile's arid landscape, the prehistory of the Atacama oases is deeply enmeshed with that of the inter-regional networks that promoted societal development in the south central Andes. During the Middle Horizon (AD 500-1000), local populations experienced a cultural apex associated with a substantial increase in inter-regional interaction, population density, and quantity and quality of mortuary assemblages. Here, we test if this cultural peak affected dietary practices equally among the distinct local groups of this period. We examine caries prevalence and the degree of occlusal wear in four series recovered from three cemeteries. Our results show a reduction in the prevalence of caries for males among an elite subsample from Solcor 3 and the later Coyo 3 cemeteries. Dental wear tends to increase over time with the Late Middle Horizon/Late Intermediate Period cemetery of Quitor 6 showing a higher average degree of wear. When considered in concert with archaeological information, we concluded that the Middle Horizon was marked by dietary variability wherein some populations were able to obtain better access to protein sources (e.g., camelid meat). Not all members of Atacameño society benefited from this, as we note that this dietary change only affected men. Our results suggest that the benefits brought to the San Pedro oases during the Middle Horizon were not equally distributed among local groups and that social status, relationship to the Tiwanaku polity, and interment in particular cemeteries affected dietary composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Hubbe
- Instituto de Investigaciones Arqueológicas y Museo, Universidad Católica del Norte, San Pedro de Atacama, Chile.
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Dento-alveolar lesions and palaeodietary inferences from the Paso Alsina 1 site (eastern Pampean–Patagonian transition, Argentina). HOMO-JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE HUMAN BIOLOGY 2011; 62:335-50. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jchb.2011.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2010] [Accepted: 06/13/2011] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Lanfranco LP, Eggers S. The usefulness of caries frequency, depth, and location in determining cariogenicity and past subsistence: A test on early and later agriculturalists from the Peruvian coast. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2010; 143:75-91. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.21296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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Han SS, Baek KW, Shin MH, Kim J, Oh CS, Lee SJ, Shin DH. Dental caries prevalence of medieval Korean people. Arch Oral Biol 2010; 55:535-40. [PMID: 20444441 DOI: 10.1016/j.archoralbio.2010.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2009] [Revised: 02/28/2010] [Accepted: 04/09/2010] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Watson JT, Fields M, Martin DL. Introduction of agriculture and its effects on women's oral health. Am J Hum Biol 2010; 22:92-102. [PMID: 19533607 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.20958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
This study explores the dynamic relationship between the introduction of agriculture and its effects on women's oral health by testing the hypothesis that female reproductive physiology contributes to an oral environment more susceptible to chronic oral disease and that, in a population undergoing the foraging to farming transition, females will exhibit a higher prevalence of oral pathology than males. This is tested by comparing the presence, location, and severity of caries lesions and antemortem tooth loss across groups of reproductive aged and postreproductive females (n = 71) against corresponding groups of males (n = 71) in an Early Agricultural period (1600 B.C.-A.D. 200) skeletal sample from northwest Mexico. Caries rates did not differ by sex across age groups in the sample; however, females were found to exhibit significantly more antemortem tooth loss than males (P > 0.01). Differences were initially minimal but increased by age cohort until postreproductive females experienced a considerable amount of tooth loss, during a life stage when the accumulation of bodily insults likely contributed to dental exfoliation. Higher caries rates in females are often cited as the result of gender differences and dietary disparities in agricultural communities. In an early farming community, with diets being relatively equal, women were found to experience similar caries expression but greater tooth loss. We believe this differential pattern of oral pathology provides new evidence in support of the interpretation that women's oral health is impacted by effects relating to reproductive biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- James T Watson
- Arizona State Museum, University of Arizona, Tucson, 85721, USA.
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Meinl A, Rottensteiner GM, Huber CD, Tangl S, Watzak G, Watzek G. Caries frequency and distribution in an early medieval Avar population from Austria. Oral Dis 2009; 16:108-16. [PMID: 19758404 DOI: 10.1111/j.1601-0825.2009.01624.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to determine frequency and distribution of dental caries in an early medieval Avar population from Central Europe, namely Vienna. METHODS The evaluation of caries was carried out in an anthropological sample consisting of the remains of 136 individuals and included 2215 permanent teeth. Age and sex estimations were based on dental development and on skeletal ageing methods. The presence of dental caries was determined according to clinical aspects using a dental probe. RESULTS The frequency of ante mortem tooth loss in the sample was 23.8%; the total caries frequency was calculated as 14.9%. The highest caries rate was recorded in the second mandibular molar (34.6%). The most affected tooth surface was found to be the root with 12.7%, followed by the approximal surface with 8.6%, but only 7.7% of the occlusal surfaces were affected by caries. CONCLUSION This study revealed that Avars suffered from higher caries rates than most other medieval European populations, but experienced a similar dental caries distribution. Attrition of the occlusal surface resulting from a diet containing abrasive particles with accompanying posteruptive tooth movement is considered the major factor causing this premodern caries pattern.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Meinl
- Department of Oral Surgery, Bernhard Gottlieb Dental School, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringerstrasse 25a, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.
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Esclassan R, Astie F, Sevin A, Donat R, Lucas S, Grimoud A. Étude de la prévalence et de la distribution carieuse dans une population médiévale du Sud-Ouest de la France. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2008; 109:28-35. [DOI: 10.1016/j.stomax.2007.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2007] [Revised: 09/26/2007] [Accepted: 10/17/2007] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Caglar E, Kuscu OO, Sandalli N, Ari I. Prevalence of dental caries and tooth wear in a Byzantine population (13th c. a.d.) from northwest Turkey. Arch Oral Biol 2007; 52:1136-45. [PMID: 17640613 DOI: 10.1016/j.archoralbio.2007.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2007] [Revised: 04/05/2007] [Accepted: 05/29/2007] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Dental caries and wear are important conditions to record in archaeological collections. Reconstruction of the life of ancient peoples can be accomplished by studying their dental remains. The aim of the present paper was to determine the frequency, distribution, and characteristics of dental caries, dental wear and related diet in the mediaeval Byzantine population of Iznik in northwest Turkey. The analysed sample consisted of the dental remains of 56 individuals with the total of 280 teeth. The majority (261 or 93.2%) of the teeth belonged to the permanent dentition. The frequency of antemortem tooth loss in the sample was 6.5% and the frequency of caries was 6.8%. The most frequent recorded caries were mesial (3.3%), followed by buccal (3%). The frequency of dental wear was rather high (84.2%) exhibiting presence of dentin clusters mostly. This finding is consistent with the hypothesis of caries attrition competition based on the assumption that a beneficial effect of tooth wear is to avoid development of caries. High wear in the archaeological population can be linked to the fact that the cumulative effects of attrition as a result of the Byzantine diet.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Caglar
- Department of Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Yeditepe University, Bagdat cad 238, Goztepe, 34728 Istanbul, Turkey.
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Bernal V, Novellino P, Gonzalez PN, Perez SI. Role of wild plant foods among late Holocene hunter-gatherers from Central and North Patagonia (South America): An approach from dental evidence. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2007; 133:1047-59. [PMID: 17554761 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.20638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
This study evaluates the role of plant foods in the subsistence of hunter-gatherers that inhabited the Central East, Northwest, and Northeast Patagonia (Argentina) during the late Holocene (ca. 3,000-500 years BP). The goal of the present study is to assess the temporal variation of dental caries ratio and wear rate in skeletal samples to ascertain if the biological information supports the dietary shift toward greater consumption of wild plant foods around 1,500 years BP, suggested by other types of evidence. The authors registered caries, antemortem and postmortem tooth loss, and tooth wear from eight samples belonging to hunter-gatherers from Patagonia for which chronological sequences from early late Holocene (ca. 3,000-1,500 years BP) up to final late Holocene (ca. 1,500-500 years BP) are available. The results indicate that caries percentages in Patagonian samples fall within the range established for hunter-gatherers but there are significant geographical differences. In addition, caries ratio does not change significantly through time, so the amount of carbohydrates consumed seems to have remained fairly constant since 3,000 years BP. In contrast, there is a marked temporal trend toward the reduction of wear rates in the three areas, suggesting a faster rate in early late Holocene than in final late Holocene. These results would reflect a change to less hard and/or abrasive diets in the final late Holocene, probably owing to differences in food processing methods employed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Bernal
- CONICET, División Antropología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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Lukacs JR, Largaespada LL. Explaining sex differences in dental caries prevalence: Saliva, hormones, and “life-history” etiologies. Am J Hum Biol 2006; 18:540-55. [PMID: 16788889 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.20530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 219] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
When dental caries rates are reported by sex, females are typically found to exhibit higher prevalence rates than males. This finding is generally true for diverse cultures with different subsistence systems and for a wide range of chronological periods. Exceptions exist, but are not common. In this paper, we present new data for sex differences in dental caries rates among the Guanches (Tenerife, Canary Islands), summarize results of meta-analyses of dental caries prevalence, and emphasize new research that stresses the critical role of female hormones and life-history events in the etiology of dental caries. Among the Guanches, corrected tooth-count caries rates for females (8.8%, 158/1,790) are approximately twice the frequency of caries among males (4.5%, 68/1,498). Higher caries prevalence among females is often explained by one of three factors: 1) earlier eruption of teeth in girls, hence longer exposure of girls' teeth to the cariogenic oral environment, 2) easier access to food supplies by women and frequent snacking during food preparation, and 3) pregnancy. Anthropologists tend to favor explanations involving behavior, including sexual division of labor and women's domestic role in food production. By contrast, the causal pathways through which pregnancy contributes to poorer oral health and higher caries rates are deemphasized or discounted. This paper presents recent research on physiological changes associated with fluctuating hormone levels during individual life histories, and the impact these changes have on the oral health of women. The biochemical composition of saliva and overall saliva flow rate are modified in several important ways by hormonal fluctuations during events such as puberty, menstruation, and pregnancy, making the oral environment significantly more cariogenic for women than for men. These results suggest that hormonal fluctuations can have a dramatic effect on the oral health of women, and constitute an important causal factor in explaining sex differences in caries rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- John R Lukacs
- Department of Anthropology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403-1218, USA.
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Vodanović M, Hrvoje B, Mario Š, Željko D. The frequency and distribution of caries in the mediaeval population of Bijelo Brdo in Croatia (10th–11th century). Arch Oral Biol 2005; 50:669-80. [DOI: 10.1016/j.archoralbio.2004.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2004] [Accepted: 11/16/2004] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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