Patterns in dental enamel hypoplasia by sex and age at death in two archaeological populations

Dental wear and oral pathology among sex determined Early Bronze-Age children from Franzhausen I, Lower Austria

The physical properties of diet and oral health throughout childhood play an important role in the development of human dentition, and differed greatly before the industrial revolution. In this study we examined dental wear and oral pathology in a sample of children from the Early Bronze-Age to investigate the physical and mechanical properties of childhood diet and related oral health. We explore cross-sectional age and sex-based variation of children in the sample. The analysis was carried out on the dentitions of 75 children, 978 teeth, excavated from the Early Bronze-Age cemetery Franzhausen I in Lower Austria. Presence of dental caries and calculus was recorded. Dental wear was measured using dentine exposure, occlusal topography, and dental microwear texture analysis. Sex determination was carried out using amelogenin peptide analysis. Caries were found in only 4 individuals (crude prevalence rate-5%, 95% CI 1% to 13%), affecting only 5 teeth (true prevalence rate-less than 1%). Dentine exposure was observed in over 70% of deciduous molars and dental wear measurements indicate a comparatively strong dental wear accumulation especially, among younger children, when compared to modern-day and later pre-industrial populations. Microwear textures presented a high complexity (Asfc > 2)/low anisotropy (epLsar < 1) profile, especially in older children. Differences between male and female children were not generally significant but increased dentine exposure was observed in the lower molars of younger female children. Our results suggest that the Early Bronze-Age children at Franzhausen I consumed a non-cariogenic diet, more abrasive and inclusive of harder/polyhedral foodstuffs than present-day children and some later Medieval children. Differences in dental wear accumulation were observed between children within the population, but with minimal variation between the sexes mostly occurring among younger children.

First permanent molars with accentuated line patterns: Assessment of childhood health in an urban complex of the fifth millennium before the present

OBJECTIVES

The objectives are 1) to calculate the position of highly accentuated lines in dental enamel of a group of individuals from Shahr-i-Sokhta, a thriving urban centre in Bronze Age South West Asia; 2) to identify peak frequencies of physiologically stressful periods during early childhood of these individuals; and 3) to relate these peak frequencies to developmental milestones at population level.

DESIGN

We analysed highly accentuated lines in the enamel of nine (n = 9) permanent mandibular first molars of nine individuals from the 5th millennium before the present urban and long-distance-trading complex, Shahr-i Sokhta (Iran). Age at death ranged between 4.5 years and 18-20 years. Permanent mandibular first molar enamel begins to mineralise before birth, and is normally completed sometime between 2.1-3.3 years, giving us insight to early childhood physiological stress, the ages at which it occurs, and any peaks in the frequencies in highly accentuated line formation, through histological sections investigated using transmitted light microscopy.

RESULTS

Highly accentuated line peak frequencies occur in the sample at c. four, nine, eleven, and twelve months. After 1 year of age, no more peaks occur.

CONCLUSION

The peak frequencies coincide with the timing timing of the type of developmental milestones which may have exposed the individuals to an increased pathogen load, injury, or sub-optimal diet. We note similarity in peak timings in the few published, disparate populations, suggest a potential link with attainment of developmental milestones connected with morbidity, and propose reporting standardised statistics to enable exploration of differences between populations in terms of postnatal health-related stress.

Dental health status of skeletal remains excavated from an abandoned well at Ajnala, India: a bioarchaeological study

Present study was conducted to assess dental health status of the mid-19th century skeletal remains excavated from an abandoned ancient well and to scrutinize the demographic affiliations of the remains. Thousands of bones, teeth and contextual items were excavated non-scientifically from an abandoned well situated underneath a religious structure at Ajnala (Amritsar, India). Four thousands four hundred and seventy five teeth of each type were examined for presence of dental pathologies of caries, wear and linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH). The frequency distribution of each pathological state was calculated for each tooth type using international dental standards available in the literature. The overall dental status was characteristic of young individuals having low prevalence of dental caries and enamel hypoplasiac lesions. Very few teeth had seriously exposed dentine and pulp cavity; indicating consumption of some cariogenic food items. The maxillary and posterior teeth were more affected with dental caries than the mandibular and anterior teeth. LEH defects were found more commonly distributed in the lower canines (44.9%) and upper incisors (34.8%) than their corresponding counterparts and statistically significant differences were noticed in LEH prevalence between anterior and, posterior dentition. The overall percentage of LEH has been found as 15.8%; with 15.4% maxillary and 16.2% mandibular teeth being affected with LEH. The paleodontogical examinations, contextual items and the preliminary molecular findings supported the written versions that victims of Ajnala skeletal remains had sound dental health status and probably belonged to adult males who were killed in 1857 as per written versions.

Prevalence of developmental dental hard-tissue anomalies and association with caries and oral hygiene status of children in Southwestern, Nigeria

BACKGROUND

Developmental dental hard tissue anomalies are often associated with oral health problems. This study determined the clinical prevalence of developmental dental hard tissue anomalies in the permanent dentition of children resident in southwestern Nigeria and its association with dental caries and poor oral hygiene status.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study recruiting 1565 school children, 12 to 15 year old attending schools in Ibadan, Oyo State and Ile-Ife, Osun State. All eligible study participants had oral examinations conducted to determine presence of developmental hard dental tissue anomalies, caries and oral hygiene status. The prevalence of developmental dental hard tissue anomalies was determined. Logistic Poisson regression was used to determine the association of between developmental dental hard tissue anomalies, caries and oral hygiene status.

RESULTS

Only 65 (4.2 %) children had clinically diagnosed developmental dental hard tissue anomalies. The most prevalent anomaly was enamel hypoplasia (2.2 %). More females (p = 0.003) and more children with middle socioeconomic class (p = 0.001) had enamel hypoplasia. The probability of having poor oral hygiene was significantly increased for children with developmental dental anomalies (APR: 0.07; 95 % CI: 0.03 - 0.12; p = 0.002). The probability of having caries was insignificantly increased for children with developmental dental hard tissue anomalies (APR: 0.005; 95 % CI: -0.03 - 0.04; p = 0.08).

CONCLUSION

The most prevalence clinically detectable developmental dental hard tissue anomalies for the study population was enamel hypoplasia. The presence of developmental dental hard tissue anomalies significantly increased the chances of having poor oral hygiene but not caries. Further studies are required to understand if poor oral hygiene is associated with dental caries in children with developmental dental hard tissue anomalies.

Was molar incisor hypomineralisation (MIH) present in archaeological case series?

OBJECTIVE

With respect to the unknown aetiology of molar incisor hypomineralisation (MIH), it is unclear whether this phenomenon was overlooked in the last century as a result of a high number of caries in children or if this developmental disorder was not present until then. Therefore, this study determined the presence of MIH in historical dentitions and teeth.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Dental remains from late medieval (n = 191, twelfth-sixteenth century, Regensburg, Germany), post-medieval (n = 33, sixteenth-eighteenth century, Passau, Germany) and modern age archaeological skeletal series (n = 99, nineteenth-twentieth century, Altdorf, Germany) were examined for MIH. In addition, linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH), diffuse opacities, hypoplasia and Turner's teeth were documented.

RESULTS

MIH-related demarcated opacities or enamel breakdowns were found in only 15 (0.4 %) of the 3891 examined permanent teeth. Ten cases (3.1 %) from a total of 323 dentitions were classified as having MIH. In contrast, 98 individuals (30.3 %) showed LEH. Other enamel disorders were recorded in 64 individuals (19.8 %).

CONCLUSION

With respect to the low number of affected dentitions and teeth, MIH most likely did not exist or was at least rarely present in the investigated archaeological case series.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

This study supports the hypothesis that MIH may be linked to contemporary living conditions or other health-related factors.