Possible causes of tooth wear in medieval Icelanders.

The Icelandic Sagas are an important source of information on the way of life in Iceland and possibly other Nordic countries 1000 years ago. Archaeological human skull material worldwide has revealed extensive tooth wear with the main cause believed to be consumption of course and rough diet. Dental erosion is generally thought of as a modern phenomenon, but there is emerging evidence that the condition has always been present to some degree. Skulls from Þjórsárdalur in the south of Iceland, dating from before 1104, were evaluated for tooth wear. An attempt was made to determine main causes of tooth wear from the wear pattern and also in the light of likely diet and beverage consumption according to data search on food and drink customs described in the Icelandic Sagas and manuscripts. Fifty-one skulls with 1001 teeth were available for research. Two methods were used to evaluate tooth wear and five for age estimation. Tooth wear was extensive in all age groups but significantly more in the older age groups with the highest score on first molar, with no difference between sexes. It had all the similarities seen in wear from coarse and rough diet. In some instances it has similar characteristics as seen in erosion in modern Icelanders consuming excessive amounts of soft drinks and other acidic beverages. According to the Icelandic Sagas and annals, a mixture of acidic whey and water was a daily drink in Iceland until the 20th century and whey was used for preservation of food. It is postulated that consumption of acidic drinks and food in addition to coarse diet has played a significant role in the dental wear of medieval Icelanders. It is concluded that acidic whey has considerable high dental erosive potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]