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Introduction: Analysis of macromorphological and ultrastructural tooth characteristics of osteological material from the medieval site of St. Pantaleimon Church in Nis provides us with insight on the life, nutrition and habits of medieval population, as well as the structure and composition of their teeth., Objective: The aim of this research, based on the tooth inspection of skeletal remains from the medieval site of St. Pantaleimon Church in Nis, was to analyze macromorphological characteristics, ultrastructure of the dental tissue of maxillary and mandibular molars, canines and incisors, as well as their chemical composition., Methods: Macromorphological and ultrastructural analysis of the dental tissue of osteological material dating from the 12th century included 1312 teeth with advanced abrasion. Macromorphological changes were detected by using a dental mirror, probe and radiography. After irrigation, the teeth were prepared using the standard procedure and analyzed by scanning electronic microscopy (JEOL-JSM-5300). Chemical analysis was done by expanded downscaling (EDS) method for Mg, P, Ca., Results: The analysis detected second degree abrasions of all teeth in individuals aged 20-25 years. Third and fourth degree abrasions of teeth were detected in individuals aged over 40 years. Ultrastructural analysis showed a complete obliteration of dentin tubules and pulp of the lower incisors, the apposition of intratubular dentin inside the tubules, as well as extensive deformity and loss of dentin structure on molars with preserved pulp volume and nerve fiber calcification. The calcification of nerve fibers showed that the formation of intratubular dentin was proportional with the biological potential of pulp and the degree of abrasion, and inversely proportional with the size of dentin surface. Chemical analysis showed that in the analyzed teeth Ca composition was slightly lower than that in the control group, P composition was almost identical, while Mg composition was multiply increased in comparison to the control group consisting of today's persons of matching age and examined teeth as the medieval individuals., Conclusion: Different ultrastructural tooth characteristics as a part of the complex masticatory system of the medieval man are the result of individual and the whole community adaptation to actual living conditions. Nerve fibers calcification of the pulp can explain the absence of pain despite the high level of dental abrasion.

Dento-alveolar pathologies and alterations (dental wear, caries, abscesses, ante mortem tooth loss (AMTL), calculus, hypoplastic defects, and chipping) and skeletal markers of health (cribra orbitalia and periostitis) were analyzed in two skeletal samples from the necropolises of Quadrella (I-IV c. AD) and Vicenne-Campochiaro (VII c. AD) in the Molise region of central Italy. The aim was to determine if the Roman Imperial Age-Early Middle Ages transition characterized by political, socioeconomic, and cultural transformations affected the biology of these populations, particularly their alimentation and health status. The frequencies of caries and AMTL, similar in the two samples, suggest a high consumption of carbohydrates. The higher levels of heavy wear, calculus, and interproximal chipping in the Vicenne population indicate a greater use of fibrous foods (both meat and others), in line with the dietary model of Germanic peoples. Health conditions do not appear to have been good in either period, as shown by the high frequencies of linear hypoplasia and the presence of cribra orbitalia and periostitis. The diet of the individuals buried with horses of the Vicenne population did not differ from that of the rest of the population, whereas there were evident differences in the use of the teeth for nonmasticatory activities among these individuals. Therefore, from the point of view of alimentation and health status, the profound socioeconomic and cultural transformations during the Late Antiquity-Early Middle Ages transition do not seem to have been translated into a true discontinuity of the two Molisan populations., ((c) 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)

The aim of this work was to study the wear affecting the almost complete dentition of a Sao individual fossil from Cameroon prehistory (XIVth century). Occlusal surfaces of the fossil fragile pieces were plaster replicated with an original technique adapted from usual dental impression methods (silicon elastomer polymerising by addition). Axial macro-photographs of both sectional dental casts and original pieces made it possible to produce drawings of the occlusal areas on transparencies in order to superimpose the lateral hemiarch counterparts in their optimal intercuspal position. The study of interarch contacts was completed by confronting and observing the occluding position of hemiarch replicas. The occlusal analysis revealed that the wear extent was equivalent on left and right molars. Hall's occlusal wear index and Van Reenen and Reinach's classification of proximal wear allow assessment of the degree of wear extent on premolar and molar sections in relation to the side or the arch observed. The even bilateral proximal and occlusal wears observed on the different kinds of homologous teeth appeared as the main contributor to this well-balanced interarch occlusion. The mandibular incisor losses and the particular type of wear affecting lower canines led to the conclusion of the presence of a labret, a great number of which was found in the area. According to Miles' method of age assessment based on tooth wear, the pieces studied belonged to an individual between 30 and 40 years old.

Aim: To compare periapical health using samples from prehistoric and historic periods until the present day, and to emphasize the major risk indicators for apical periodontitis (AP)., Methodology: A comparative survey to assess periapical health was performed on five samples (525 individuals) drawn from different periods of history within the time frame 2000 BC to 2000 AD. Twenty-one binary risk indicators for AP were retained for a logistic regression model. The probability of a diseased tooth was defined from a two-level response variable based on the periapical index (PAI). An individual regression model was computed with partial least squares (PLS) regression model, based on the individual mean values of the nine retained risk indicators., Results: Condensing osteitis, tooth wear, caries, root fillings and the presence of inadequate root fillings were associated with the PAI levels. The maxillary molars and recent time periods (contemporaneous and seventeenth century) were also risk indicators for the pathological condition. The PLS regression for individuals demonstrated correlations between risk factors. This multidimensional analysis indicated that the mean PAI was correlated mainly with caries and condensing osteitis. Condensing osteitis was more frequent in the mandibular than in the maxillary bone (P=0.001), and correlated with tooth wear in ancient periods., Conclusions: This comparative analysis demonstrated a significantly higher prevalence of AP in the contemporary period. The most important risk indicators for that period were the presence of inadequate root fillings, carious lesions and condensing osteitis.

The role of the odontologist is crucial for the study of archaeological material. The excavations at the site of the ancient abbey of the Dunes of Koksijde led to the discovery of more than a thousand burial places. It is possible to estimate the age of the skeletons by studying molar dental wear. This method is however less appropriate for the industrialised populations of the 21st century, because of the switch to more diverse and processed (less abrasive) food.

This study presents an analysis of linear enamel hypoplasias (LEH) and plane-form defects (PFD) in the hominine dental sample from the Sima de los Huesos (SH) Middle Pleistocene site in Atapuerca (Spain). The SH sample comprises 475 teeth, 467 permanent and 8 deciduous, belonging to a minimum of 28 individuals. The method for recording PFD and LEH is discussed, as well as the definition of LEH. The prevalence of LEH and PFD in SH permanent dentition (unilateral total count) is 4.6% (13/280). Only one deciduous tooth (lower dc) showed an enamel disruption. Prevalence by individual ranges from 18.7-30%. The most likely explanation for the relatively low LEH and PFD prevalence in the SH sample suggests that the SH population exhibited a low level of developmental stress. The age at occurrence of LEH and PFD was determined by counting the number of perikymata between each lesion and the cervix of the tooth. Assuming a periodicity of nine days for the incremental lines, the majority of LEH in the SH sample occurred during the third year of life and may be related to the metabolic stress associated with weaning.

Aging is accompanied by a natural decrease of the hard dental tissues. Occlusal and incisal tooth abrasion occurs during the normal mastication. In the study, the collection of 717 adult and child skulls without mandibles, and 518 isolated adult and child mandibles from the "Broumov Ossuary" (13th-18th century)--the Czech Republic was examined for the study of tooth abrasion. In the skulls and mandibles of the adult individuals high prevalence of both tooth abrasion and its high degree was ascertained. The established pattern of dental abrasion suggests an abrasive composition of diet at the historical Broumov populations and concurrently indicates that tooth age-abrasion can be used for the age-at-death determination solely in the context with the given particular historic epoch.

The study of teeth is very important in archaeoanthropology for reconstruction of the nutritional habits and living conditions of past populations. We have analysed dental lesions of pathological (caries, abscesses and ante mortem tooth loss) and non-pathological origin (calculus), linear enamel hypoplasia and tooth wear in 67 adults from the Roman Imperial age necropolis (1st-4th c. AD) of Quadrella (Molise, Italy). The high frequency of caries (likely giving rise to the abscesses and ante mortem tooth loss), the abundant calculus and the low frequency of heavy wear are probably due to a limited use of hard fibrous foods and a high consumption of carbohydrates. The high frequency of linear enamel hypoplasia suggests metabolic problems during growth. Comparison of these data with those for two coeval Italian necropoleis near Rome (Latium), Isola Sacra and Lucus Feroniae, indicates poorer living conditions in the Quadrella population.

The present study sought to evaluate the characteristics of tooth wear in subjects with an acidic diet in relation to subjects with substantially different nutritional patterns. The evaluation included medieval skulls (group 1, n = 102, abrasive nutrition), study models of individuals living on an acidic diet (group 2, n = 100) and randomly selected subjects (group 3, n = 100, average Western diet). Wear was visually recorded on oral, vestibular and occlusal/incisal surfaces using quantitative and morphological criteria. The mean age was 42.3 +/- 15.3 yr in group 1, 40.9 +/- 11.2 yr in group 2 and 36.7 +/- 11.7 yr in group 3. Group 1 exhibited the most pronounced substance loss, followed by groups 2 and 3. On occlusal surfaces, cupping was common in group 1 followed by group 2, but was rare in group 3. An inverse relation was found for facets. On buccal surfaces, no substance loss was observed in group 1, whereas in group 2, 63% had at least one tooth with a buccal lesion compared to 8% in group 3. The occlusal substance loss observed in subjects exposed to acids may be interpreted as increased abrasion/demastication of acid-softened dental hard tissues. The occurrence of concavities on smooth surfaces appears to be significant for the diagnosis of dental erosion.

Interproximal (approximal) grooves at the cementum-enamel junction of premolar and molar teeth have been observed in a broad range of human ancestors and related extinct species from 1.84 million years ago to the present. Many hypotheses have been presented to explain the aetiology of these grooves, though their form and positioning are most consistent with tooth-picking behaviours. This paper reviews occurrences of interproximal grooves in the cheek teeth of modern and fossil humans, evaluates hypotheses on their cause, and reports on a previously undescribed groove found in OH 60, a molar tooth from Olduvai Gorge. This specimen is among the earliest to show such grooving, and is most likely attributable to Homo erectus. It is concluded that, because interproximal grooves have been observed only on Homo teeth, they probably reflect a behaviour or behaviours unique to that genus.

Textbook descriptions usually portray the Fayum anthropoideans as frugivores, with Parapithecus grangeri including a folivorous component in its diet and Apidium a component of hard-object feeding. Recent work with modern mammals has shown that analyses of both dental microwear and dental microstructure may yield insights into diet and tooth use. The purpose of this study was to combine these two techniques to gain a better perspective on the paleobiology of the Fayum higher primates. Dental microwear analyses involved the use of high resolution epoxy casts of Aegyptopithecus, Parapithecus, and Apidium housed in the Duke University Primate Center. Scanning electron micrographs were taken at x500, and all microwear features in each micrograph were digitized. For microstructure analyses, molar teeth were sectioned in a variety of planes, lightly etched, and photographed in the SEM. Results of the dental microwear analyses indicate that the three Fayum anthropoideans all clustered with modern primate frugivores but that there were also significant differences between Aegyptopithecus and the other two Fayum genera. By contrast, dental microstructure analyses showed important differences between Apidium and the other two genera. The reason for these differences probably lies in a combination of body size and dietary differences, with Aegyptopithecus occasionally feeding on hard objects and Apidium maximizing wear resistance through a unique emphasis of radial (rather than decussating) enamel.

In 1994 parts of a human skeleton were found in the county of Västergötland, Sweden. The remains were probably from a man and estimated according to 14C dating to be about 9800 years old, i.e. from the Early Mesolithic Period. As such old finds are rare and the skull was well preserved a more detailed description is presented in this paper. The facial skeleton was robust and the face shape was rectangular. The remaining teeth, one maxillary and 10 mandibular teeth, exhibited no caries but extensive occlusal wear which in some teeth had exposed the pulp and led to periapical osteitis. Besides these teeth the 4 maxillary incisors and the two canines and one incisor in the mandible had been lost post-mortem, probably because of severe marginal bone loss. Both temporomandibular joints showed remodelling, one also osteoarthrotic changes. The observations are discussed with respect to masticatory function and some background factors.

In a sample of 48 adult Tigarans (1300-1700 A.D.) from Point Hope, Alaska, 33 exhibited various degrees of periodontal disease, which, in 25, resulted in tooth loss (Schwartz, unpublished data). Although extreme examples of tooth wear were prevalent in the sample, carious infection was noted in only one individual, in whom the lower central incisors (I1S) had been affected. In the left I1, infection had spread through the root's apex into the alveolar bone, causing an abscess. The buccal (labial) side of the root of this tooth, just below the crown, bears a shallow, relatively flat-bottomed depression, with a small perforation into, as well as a second hole that fully penetrates, the root canal. Both of these features appear to have been produced by an implement, and, as they are associated with a diseased tooth, and ritualistic tooth shaping or drilling of any sort was, and is, not practiced among Arctic groups, their purpose was probably therapeutic. As such, this specimen appears to represent a case of precontact New World Arctic dentistry.

It is commonly assumed that alveolar crest height increases with continuing tooth eruption unless affected by marginal inflammation. To test this hypothesis, the relation between eruption and alveolar crest height was examined in skulls from a sample consisting of the remains of 244 individuals from the late medieval period. The mandibular first and second molars and second premolars were analysed. The age of the skulls was determined on the basis of dental development and molar attrition. Radiographs were taken and points representing the levels of the inferior dental canal (IDC), root apices (AP), alveolar crest (AC), cementum-enamel junction (CEJ) and occlusal surface were determined on the radiographs. The level of the IDC was used as a reference not changing with age. The distances between the points were measured with a help of a computer-digitizer system. Variable IDC-AP increased with age, indicating continuous eruption of the teeth. The distance between AC and CEJ also increased while the distance between IDC and AC remained constant, showing that the alveolar crest height did not increase accordingly. The lack of inflammatory changes on the alveolar bone surface suggests that occlusal attrition may be compensated for by continuous eruption without bone growth in the alveolar margin.

Subvertical grooves, located on the interproximal facets of most Neandertal posterior teeth, are less frequently noted on the teeth of other hominids, including modern humans. These grooves, 0.1-0.5 mm in width, are strictly localized within the facet area. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) examination of grooves present on Neandertal teeth from Caverna delle Fate (Liguria, Italy) and Genay (Côte d'Or, France) demonstrated that they were produced during the life of these individuals. Characteristics of the groove surface suggest an erosion-abrasion mechanism of formation. These grooves, which developed in parts of the dentition exposed to marked stress, originated in areas characterized by changes in the orientation of enamel prism bundles (i.e., Hunter-Schreger bands). Observations carried out on modern human molars showed a subvertical disposition of these bands near interproximal ridges facilitating subvertical microfractures. Possible correlations between enamel structure, masticatory stress, and interproximal groove formation in Neandertals are discussed.

The dentitions of 23 skulls, mostly excavated from a 'plague pit' dating from 1348, were investigated using a Reflex Metrograph. The measurements obtained were compared with those from a modern control sample. It was found that in the medieval dentitions the arch widths were significantly wider, arch lengths and tooth lengths smaller, and the degree of irregularity of the teeth was greater than a modern group.

Twelve skeletal samples, previously published, from the Arabian Gulf have been used to trace differences in diet and subsistence patterns through an analysis of dental pathology. The skeletons date from 3,000 BC to AD 1,500 and cover a variety of geographical locations: off-shore islands, Eastern Arabia, and Oman. The dental conditions analyzed are attrition, caries, calculus, abscessing, and antemortem tooth loss (AMTL). Results indicate four basic patterns of dental disease which, while not mutually exclusive, correspond to four basic subsistence patterns. Marine dependency, represented by the Ras el-Hamra population, is indicated by severe attrition, low caries rates, wear-caused abscessing, and a lack of AMTL. The second group of dental diseases--moderate attrition and calculus, low rates of caries, wear-caused abscessing, and low-moderate rates of AMTL--affects populations subsisting on a mixture of pastoralism or fishing and agriculture (Failaka, Umm an-Nar, Bronze Age Maysar, Bronze Age Shimal, and Iron Age Galilah). Mixed farming populations (Iron Age Maysar and Islamic Bahrain) experienced low-moderate attrition, high rates of caries and calculus, abscessing due to caries, and severe AMTL. The final group of dental diseases affects populations practicing intensive gardening (Bronze and Iron Age Bahrain, and Sites 3 and 5, Ras al-Khaimah). These groups experienced slight attrition, high rates of caries, low rates of calculus deposition, and severe AMTL.

There is no longer any question that the consumption of refined sugar is a factor in the development of dental caries. In fact, researchers now believe that the production of refined sugar and, particularly, its great availability and use in post-industrial populations has led to a virtual revolution in both the food industry and buccopathology. Clinical and epidemiological studies on the relationship between caries and sugar consumption have been conducted for more than 40 years, and the harmful effects of sugar consumption on the development of dental caries are now well known. Some authors have also demonstrated a historical relationship between caries and sugar over the last three centuries. Another food revolution that had an equally great impact on oral health occurred with the introduction of agriculture. This innovation is discussed from both a technical and food perspective. Agriculture modified the diet of ancient populations by providing new foods that were rich in carbohydrates and by introducing new cooking methods (food was now often boiled instead of being roasted). These two factors alone contributed to an increased rate of dental caries, but at the same time reduced the abrasion of occlusal surfaces and dental crowns. This paper documents the relationship between dental caries, occlusal abrasion, fractures and periodontal disorders, as well as the agriculture practises of an Amerindian population that lived between 1000 and 1500 A.D. in parts of what are now New York State, Quebec and Ontario. The author's findings confirm those of many other researchers who have investigated agricultural populations.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Stable carbon isotope measurements and incidences of dental caries are presented for three groups of prehistoric human skeletons from different regions of the Cape Province, South Africa. The isotopic analyses of bone collagen demonstrate the importance of marine foods in the diet and vary through time, across space, and according to sex. The incidence of dental caries ranges from 0% among heavily marine-dependent individuals from the south-western Cape coast, to 17.7% among skeletons from an archaeological site on the south coast. The extremely high incidence of caries in a hunter-gatherer population may be related to lack of fluoride in the water.

As a final year undergraduate dental student at the University of Manchester, I visited the school of dentistry at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand (South Island) for the month of July, 1991 to do research for my non-clinical elective. This article is a description of some of the history of dentistry, dental education and the local way of life I glimpsed during this visit.

Both the mandibular condyle and the glenoid fossa remodel in response to changes in the dentition during life, although the precise relationship between teeth and joint is not clear. This study was undertaken to ascertain changes, if any, occurring in the glenoid fossae in skeletons with much tooth wear. In a collection of skulls from an excavation site on the South African coast, occlusal wear was measured using the scale devised by Molnar. The dimensions of the glenoid fossae were measured using a reflex microscope. Profiles of the glenoid fossa at right angles to a line through its medial and lateral poles provided estimates of the slope of the articular eminence in three places: centrally, and midway between this slope and each of the poles. The mediolateral profile gave an estimate of the height and gabling of the fossa. Central and lateral slope angles showed weak correlation with molar wear, and the medial but not the lateral angel was significantly different from the central. The fossa appears to remodel in response to patterns of forces generated during function, but compared to the condyle, is not as strongly influenced. This may be accounted for if the relative load-bearing areas of the condyle and fossa are considered.

The potential role of dental function in TMJ osteoarthritis is examined in an ancient British population. Human skeletal remains from five archaeological sites in England (n = 369) were studied to assess the associations between the presence of osteoarthritis and dental function variables, in particular antemortem tooth loss and dental attrition. Individuals aged over 17 years with at least a portion of either the left or right TMJ were included in the study. Each individual was scored for the occurrence of arthritic lesions on the mandibular condyle and glenoid fossa, the level of dental attrition, and antemortem tooth loss. A loglinear analysis was performed with osteoarthritis as the dependent variable and tooth loss, attrition, sex, and age as the independent variables. Tooth loss and sex are not significantly associated with TMJ osteoarthritis when attrition and age are included in the analysis. Attrition is significantly associated with osteoarthritis even when the analysis corrects for age. The significant association of attrition with osteoarthritis suggests that dental functions may have an influence, separate from ageing, on the development of TMJ osteoarthritis.

The recent suggestion by Brown and Molnar (1990) that the common etiology of sinew processing is responsible for the production of interproximal tooth grooves is contested. Based on a review of the Australian evidence and presentation of a previously undescribed dentition from Central Europe, it is argued toothpicks are a likely cause of many artificial grooves in human teeth.

Increases in the distance from the cemento-enamel junction to the alveolar crest (CEJ-AC) have often been attributed to senile atrophy of the bone or to the effects of periodontitis, without reference to the condition of the alveolar crest. This study investigated the relationship between CEJ-AC distance, tooth wear, gender, site of the CEJ-AC measurements, and age in 161 pre-white-contact Australian aboriginal skulls. Individual teeth were included in the study when there was no evidence of dehiscence, periodontitis, or abscess cavity formation in the supporting alveolar bone. The CEJ-AC distances increased as the severity of attrition increased; in male skulls, CEJ-AC distances were greater than in female skulls for all categories of tooth wear. In general, CEJ-AC distances measured on the mesial aspects of teeth were greater than those recorded distally; lingual distances generally exceeded buccal recordings. The best explanation of these findings and similar reports in the anthropological literature is that continuous tooth eruption occurred without the concomitant coronal movement of alveolar bone. This conclusion has significant ramifications for anthropological, epidemiological, and clinical studies which use the CEJ and AC as reference points when measuring periodontal attachment loss (periodontitis).

Tooth dislocation (tilting) was recorded in 1,200 skulls from 34 museum collections. The findings of dislocation by tooth type, tooth wear, and abscess location are presented. A model for dislocation based upon the progressive loss of tooth support provides a rational explanation for the phenomenon. Physiological continuous tooth eruption was considered to account for a component of the progressive loss of tooth attachment. The process of attrition, pulp perforation, and dental abscess cavity formation resulted in further, more severe loss of tooth support. Heavy functional forces, in association with greatly reduced bone support, tilted the crown lingually and root buccally. When the tooth had tilted to such an extent that the root apices protruded from the bone and, presumably (in life) through the gingival/mucosal tissues, the infected root canals were effectively isolated from the internal environment. The tooth continued to function. The more typical consequence of severe attrition and dental abscess formation was tooth loss; it also isolated an infected tooth from living tissue, but without the benefit of retaining function.

This paper reviews a series of paleo-pathologic studies made to investigate associations between dietary factors and development of occlusion, periodontal diseases and caries. The findings indicate that the change from hard to soft food, which has taken place during the last few hundred years, influences occlusion, craniofacial structures and oral health in several ways. Comparative studies show that the frequency of malocclusion has increased substantially. In the same time, a number of alterations have taken place in the morphology of the craniofacial skeleton. The results support the hypothesis that masticatory stress is a regulative factor in craniofacial growth and occlusal development. With soft food and low masticatory activity, jaw growth is not adequate for optimal occlusal development. Approximal wear itself, caused by the attritive diet, seems to be only a minor adjustive factor. Because of the occlusal wear, the crown height decreased with age and the teeth continued to erupt. As a result, root surfaces were exposed. This process has been equated with bone loss but the lack of inflammatory changes on the bone surface indicates that the alveolar bone was not affected by periodontal diseases. This suggests that the alveolar height was maintained at a constant level throughout life and no growth nor resorption took normally place at the crest. Only the exposure of the furcations increased the occurrence of periodontitis. The caries frequency was decreased by mechanical cleaning effect of attritive food but increased by exposure of the root surfaces. Furthermore, the oral microflora may have been modified by factors related to the chemical and physical properties of the diet.

Scanning electron microscopy was used to study age-related changes in the dental microwear of 36 prehistoric juveniles ranging from 6 to 27 months of age. Juveniles from horticultural (Middle Woodland) and agricultural (Mississippian) groups were studied to allow an investigation of the impact of diet on deciduous microwear. Inclusion of both molars and incisors in the sample permitted identification of age at earliest appearance of wear and comparisons between the age-related microwear characterizing different tooth types. Data on feature frequency and enamel surface characteristics were analyzed. Microwear feature frequencies generally increase with age and/or exposure to wear. Enamel surface characteristics show consistent qualitative changes associated with both age and exposure to wear. Molars and incisors differ for such surface characteristics in a way that make biomechanical sense, given the relative bite forces characterizing these teeth. Dietary reconstruction based on deciduous microwear is complex because of the effects of both age and exposure to wear on feature frequencies and enamel surface characteristics. Nonetheless, the present analyses suggest that 1) diets differed for younger and older juveniles within each cultural group and 2) the Middle Woodland juvenile diet was both harder and more varied in physical consistency than the Mississippian juvenile diet.

In 1941, the Ohguruwa remains were discovered at the Mizuho sports ground site in Nagoya. They date from about 3000 B.C., which is the early Jomon era. When the stadium was reconstructed in 1980, four human skeletons were found. Three of them, however, were in poor condition and moreover, were incomplete. However, the second skeleton was in good condition and could almost be reconstructed, and this skeleton (No. 2) was used for our study. It was found in the classic posture with arms and legs folded. Some pieces of a dog's skeleton were also discovered near the No. 2 skeleton's chest. This particular skeleton generally showed characteristics typical of the Jomon era. It had a stout structure and was judged to be a middle aged male because of the following features. There was considerable attrition of the occlusal surfaces on the remaining teeth. The teeth were worn flat, probably owing to the hard food and to their use as a tool. Both canines and first premolars of the upper and lower arches had been extracted in accordance with the custom of the time. Typical caries and localized periodontal breakdown were not observed, although there was horizontal alveolar bone loss, especially in the anterior regions. The mastoid process was extremely large and prominent. The lateral prominence of the mandible was developed. Analysis of lateral cephalogram revealed that the mandible was in the anterior position. The angles of SNA, SNB and ANB were 89.6 degrees, 89.2 degrees and 0.4 degrees, respectively. The skeletal pattern was definitive Class III. The adaptive changes in the teeth, their supporting tissues, temporomandibular joints and the related muscles--the harmonious masticatory system--were all estimated.

During an excavation of the Carmelite monastery in New Varberg, 178 skeletons were found. Many of the skulls were in a bad condition. Thus, the material in the present study consists of 12 complete and 47 partial skulls (maxilla and/or mandible) of 22 monks and 37 ordinary inhabitants. The information collected involved direct inspection of the skulls, segments of the jaws and radiographic examination of the complete skulls. Malocclusion, attrition, temporomandibular joints and arch dimensions were analysed. From the results it is tempting to assume that lack of forceful masticatory function and consequent absence of evenly distributed attrition and observed differences in craniofacial morphology can be a major explanation to the high prevalence of severe malocclusion in modern man.

The exact relationship between tooth wear and changes in the shape of the articulating surface of the mandibular condyles is unknown. It is assumed that to some degree these changes are in response to the loads on the joint generated during chewing. Excavated skeletal remains from sites of primitive human habitation provide an opportunity to study the masticatory system of human beings in their natural context, with the features of form and function expressed to their full potential. Accurate measurements of the condylar head can also be made on such remains. A collection of skulls from an excavation site known as Oakhurst on the South African coast provided material for this study. Occlusal wear was measured using the scale devised by Molnar; approximal wear was assessed by measuring the size of the wear facet between the first and second molars. The width of the condyles were measured directly, and a method was devised to measure changes in the proportion of medial and lateral articulating facets. An increase in the size of the lateral facet of the condyle was found to be associated with increased tooth wear. It is suggested that the direction of condylar remodelling may give an indication of the reaction at the joint to optimal mastication.

The aim was to document the late medieval material and to compare the results with findings in other medieval populations and present-day Finns. The sample consisted of the remains of 410 individuals and included 4581 permanent and 600 deciduous teeth. Age determination was based on the stage of dental development and on the attrition pattern in the molar region. Scoring the presence and location of caries was done visually with the aid of a dental probe. In the younger age groups, caries was most prevalent in the occlusal fissures, but the proportion of cavities at these sites declined with age, possibly because occlusal attrition progressed more rapidly than did caries. In the permanent dentition, carious lesions were most frequently observed at the cementum-enamel junction, particularly on the approximal surfaces. The prevalence of caries was lower than among modern populations of similar ages. In addition, the relative distribution of caries was strikingly different, with root caries being the most common type.

Clinically, in modern populations, tooth wear can be differentiated into three main types--attrition, abrasion and erosion, acting either separately or together. Anthropologists generally have not recognized erosion as a factor affecting the teeth of past populations. This study compares the patterns of wear known to be associated with erosion in present-day dental patients with those found in some British, pre-Conquest, skeletons. It is concluded that erosion may have been a major factor causing the extensive tooth wear in some 20 of 151 individuals.

This is an age-by-age summation of literature on over 100 sites (of more than 250 excavated prehistoric ruins on the Korean Peninsula: about 160 places in South Korea--Paleolithic Age 15, Neolithic Age 21, Bronze Age 90 and Iron Age 35--and about 90 places in North Korea) which produced dietary-habit-related devices such as hunting tools, fishing instruments, farming equipments, tools of daily life, and human bones and teeth. 1) Various dietary-habit-related Old Stone-Age tools, instruments and other items were found. Among them were stone axes, stone hand axes, fish spears and hooks made of bone or horn, stone blades, stone scrapers and stone drills believed to have been used in daily life, and charcoal and sites of furnaces used for cooking. Furthermore, it was found that there were severe dental abrasions and dental caries among the inhabitants of the Korean Peninsula in the Old Stone Age. 2) Some evidences were found which lead us to believe that hunting was practiced with stone arrowheads in the New Stone Age. Stone net sinkers, which is the evidence of the use of fish nets, were also found. In addition, farming stone tools and charred cereals, both of which date back to the latter part of this period, were unearthed. Millstones, which began to be used in this age, and livestock bones were found. Where these items were discovered, 23 maxillae and mandibles with teeth and a total of 231 separate teeth of Neolithic period human beings were reported. However, there are no records indicating dental caries, but some records describe severe abrasion.

Occlusal variation and occurrence of malocclusion were examined in a Finnish skull sample derived from the 15th and 16th centuries. The material consisted of 207 adult individuals; 141 maxillas and 159 mandibles, including 93 pairs, were in observable condition. In the skull sample, only dental anomalies were observed; no skeletal malocclusions were found. The frequency of an Angle Class I lateral relationship was 97.7%. The mean values for overjet and overbite were 1.6 and 1.4 mm, respectively. A comparison with present-day Finns revealed that the skull sample showed less variation in all occlusal variables studied. An Angle Class II type occlusion, deep bite, crowding, spacing, and lateral crossbite occurred with significantly lower frequencies in the skull sample than in the present-day Finns. Advanced dental wear in the skull sample shows that a hard and attritive diet was eaten at that time. It is suggested that a dietary transition from hard to soft food is the most probable cause of the increased occlusal variation and high frequency of malocclusion in present-day Finns.

The purpose of the present study was to analyse cephalometrically the effects of a high-attrition environment on craniofacial morphology. The material consisted of lateral cephalograms of 32 Finnish crania and of a control sample of 50 present-day Finns. The skull sample represented Finns who had lived in the city of Turku during the 15th and 16th centuries. Marked dental attrition was seen in the skulls; the dentition of the control individuals was virtually unworn. The gonial angle, and the angle between the mandibular base and nasal floor were significantly smaller in the skull sample than in the present-day sample. In addition, the upper incisors were more palatally inclined, and the angle between the axes of the upper and lower incisors was significantly larger in the skull sample. The configuration of the cranial base, and the relationship of the clivus to the nasal floor and ramus were similar in both samples. The results indicate that intensive mastication affects mandibular growth by advancing its anterior rotation. The large interincisal angle was caused, almost equally, by the lingual tipping of the upper incisors and the anterior rotation of the mandible. It is suggested that anterior rotation is the natural growth direction of the mandible. However, several functional disturbances, including reduced masticatory stimulation due to modern diet, may promote more posteriorly directed growth.

Ala-329 is a prehistoric central California site located on the southeastern margin of San Francisco Bay, dating from approximately 500 AD up to pre-European contact. A large earth mound, Ala-329, has yielded many well preserved burials, approximately 300 of which are included in this study. The most common pathological lesions seen in this population are in the dentition. Advanced attrition is pervasive, affecting all individuals with teeth in occlusion for 2 years or more. Deciduous teeth are involved even in very young children and often show severe wear before replacement. In the permanent dentition, all elements are involved by the second decade; in the oldest age category (41+ years), all individuals show severe wear throughout their dentitions. In fact, by the end of the third decade, the majority of individuals have no enamel remaining. Mild periodontal involvement is found in 74% of adults, socket resorption in 53%, and abscesses in 31% of the relevant sample. Interestingly, although dental abscesses are found more than twice as often among males, socket resorption is seen more often among females. Dental caries are seen in only 10 individuals. The high incidence of periodontal remodeling, socket resorption, and dental abscesses is probably a secondary result of severe dental attrition. It is hypothesized that a large quantity of abrasives in the diet is responsible for the extreme degree of attrition, in fact, among the most severe for any population yet described.