Oral health and diet of a young Late Pleistocene woman from Quintana Roo, Mexico.

OBJECTIVES: To increase understanding of the subsistence practices of the first Americans through analysis of the near-complete dentition of a young woman dating to the terminal Pleistocene of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The skeleton is that of "Naia" a 15 to 17-year-old female from the submerged natural trap of Hoyo Negro found in association with remains of numerous extinct species of megafauna. Superbly preserved remains included the skull with 28 teeth, which are analyzed for evidence of caries, periodontal disease, wear patterns, and malocclusion. RESULTS: Naia exhibits a high frequency of dental caries, along with aggressive periodontal disease that threatened all her teeth, particularly her incisors. Dental attrition was extremely light for a hunter-gatherer, reaching to four on the Molnar scale on only one tooth. Lack of wear is associated with severe mandibular retrognathia, and low masticatory forces. DISCUSSION: Naia's dental condition is compared with that of other northern Paleoamericans, mostly females, dating before 11,000 cal BP. These exhibit a high degree of variability in both caries and tooth wear. All, however, exhibit rapid anterior wear owing to technological use of the front teeth. Naia exhibits the highest rate of caries, similar to that of the earliest South Americans, and one of the lowest rates of attrition. This demonstrates that she had a nonabrasive diet that was at least seasonally rich in carbohydrates. This does not mean her diet was low in meat, however, because similarly light dental attrition is seen in the Arch Lake female, a Paleoamerican from a big-game hunting society.

Assessing subsistence and its relationship to cultural complexity in the late prehistoric upper Midwest: A new perspective provided by dental health.

OBJECTIVE: Previous researchers have assumed that the Late Prehistoric Oneota were less reliant on maize agriculture than their Middle Mississippian neighbors to the south. This assumption is based on the idea that intensive maize agriculture is related to sociopolitical complexity, and that the climate of the Great Lakes region was less conducive to full-scale agriculture than that of the American Bottom. Here, we assess the diet of the Oneota using dental pathology to test the hypothesis that the Oneota in Eastern Wisconsin were highly reliant on maize agriculture. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To test our hypothesis, skeletal remains representing 187 individuals and 1,102 teeth were examined from nine Oneota sites from the Middle Fox and Koshkonong Localities, as well as the Late Woodland/Middle Mississippian site of Aztalan. Dental caries, antemortem tooth loss (AMTL), and dental abscesses were assessed for each individual in the sample. Dental pathologies in the Oneota groups were compared to each other based on Locality and to the Aztalan population using chi-squared tests. RESULTS: Dental caries rates for the Oneota, based on the tooth count approach, were observed at 16.8% for the Middle Fox Locality, and 49% for the Koshkonong Locality. Comparatively, the Late Woodland/Middle Mississippian population from Aztalan had a tooth count rate of 19.5%. AMTL rates were similar across samples. Dental abscessing was universally low. DISCUSSION: The relatively high rate of dental caries among the Oneota is comparable to Middle Mississippian populations from throughout the Midwest, suggesting similar reliance on maize between the groups.

Oral Health: The First Step to Well-Being.

Scientific research in the medical field shows this constantly: health starts from the mouth. Having good oral health nowadays is not only aimed at tooth health, but as amply demonstrated in the literature, it is a starting point for the general health and well-being of our body. Retracing the latest scientific findings that demonstrate an interpolation between oral health, oral diseases, and systemic complications, literature support was brought to this manuscript. Oral health, as demonstrated, has potentially multi-organ systemic implications, and as the results of the recent literature demonstrate, these implications range from an insulin resistance, due to a periodontal disease, up to far more complex multi-organ systemic complications involving the cardiovascular system or even neurodegenerative pathology. Therefore, being able to improve oral health could have great systemic implications for the organism, for the prevention of pathologies, and therefore for society and for the quality of life in individuals.

Dental markers of poverty: Biocultural deliberations on oral health of the poor in mid-nineteenth-century Ireland.

OBJECTIVES: Despite subsisting on a low-cariogenic diet comprising virtually nothing more than potatoes and dairy products, poor oral health affected the quality of life for the poor of nineteenth-century Ireland. This study investigates potential biocultural reasons that may explain why this was the case. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 6,860 teeth and 9,889 alveoli from 363 permanent dentitions from the skeletal remains of impoverished adult Irish males and females who died between 1847 and 1851 in the Kilkenny Union Workhouse were examined for evidence of dental caries, periodontal disease and ante-mortem tooth loss. Caries rates were quantified and assessed by crude prevalence, frequencies, corrected caries rates and a t-health index, and evaluated by sex and age groups. RESULTS: A higher rate of caries was present among 18-25-year-old males than females, while the opposite relationship was evident for older age groups. The prevalence rates of periodontal disease and ante-mortem tooth loss increased with age. When assessed by corrected caries rates, tooth decay is observed at a lower rate compared to contemporaneous lower to upper-class population samples from London. DISCUSSION: Despite being low cariogenic foods, the potato starch and milk lactose of a nineteenth-century Irish laborer's diet would have lowered oral pH-values thereby increasing the risk of bacterial fermentation in dental plaque resulting in caries. Nutritional features alone cannot explain the high rates of dental caries observed in the Kilkenny workhouse population sample, however, and lifestyle factors, particularly habitual clay-pipe smoking, is considered a significant cause of poor oral health.

Transition to agriculture in South-Eastern Arabia: Insights from oral conditions.

OBJECTIVES: In Southeast (SE) Arabia, agriculture is supposed to expand around 3000 BC, but its tempo and its actual role in populations' subsistence is still debated by archaeologists. Here, we compare dental health conditions of 11 skeletal samples from coastal and inland sites, dated from the Late Neolithic (ca. 4500-3100 BC) to the Early Bronze Age (EBA), conventionally divided into Hafit (ca. 3100-2700 BC) and Umm an-Nar period (ca. 2700-2000 BC). The goal is to assess long-term trends in subsistence patterns and regional variability during the local transition to agriculture. METHODS: Seven indicators of oral health and childhood stress were analyzed, including dental wear, calculus, caries, alveolar resorption, periapical lesions, ante-mortem tooth loss (AMTL), and linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH). RESULTS: Neolithic coastal populations are globally characterized by high dental wear, high calculus frequency, high LEH frequency, and frequent periodontal disease, whereas they exhibit low abscesses and AMTL frequencies and a total absence of carious lesions. Samples from the Hafit period present high dental wear, low rates of calculus and LEH, frequent periodontal disease, combined with low abscess and AMTL frequencies and absence of caries. By contrast, samples from the Umm an-Nar period exhibit much lower dental wear, calculus and LEH rates, whereas caries, periapical lesions and AMTL frequencies increase significantly. Marked differences were observed between coastal and inland Umm an-Nar groups, the latter presenting significantly higher frequencies of caries, periapical lesions, alveolar resorption and AMTL. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: Oral conditions from the Neolithic coastal populations denote a diet mainly composed of unprocessed and abrasive food, with high protein and low carbohydrate intakes, and frequent stress episodes. Although Hafit populations display some changes in oral pathologies, which indicate modifications in their lifestyle and a diversification of the diet, no markers of high carbohydrate intakes were observed in our samples. The impact of agriculture on oral health appears clearly only from the Umm an-Nar period, and is more intense inland than on the coast, where marine resources are still a main component of the diet.

Oral Health of New Zealand Service Personnel in WW1.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: During the First World War, 10% of New Zealand's population served in the armed forces, and around one in five of those were killed. In commemoration of 100 years since WW1, this study uses retrospective data to report on the oral health of NZ service personnel. METHODS: 325 Pakeha, 165 Maori and 150 Samoan male recruits who served in the NZ Expeditionary Force between 1914 and 1918 were randomly selected and their personnel files accessed through Archives New Zealand. RESULTS: The oral health of recruits was described as 'good' for 44%, 'pass' for 38%, 'pass with false teeth' for 5% and 'poor' for 13%. Dental health was documented at enlistment for a decreasing proportion of soldiers as the war progressed, dropping from 96% during 1914-15, to 54% in 1916 and 22% in 1917-18 (p < 0.001). Significantly more soldiers who enlisted in 1917-18 had poor dental health (44%) than those who enlisted during 1916 (20%) and 1914-15 (8%) (p < 0.001). By ethnicity, Maori had the best dental health, followed by Samoan and Pakeha recruits (p < 0.001). On average, dental health was poorer among the lower ranks and among recruits of low socio-economic status; and soldiers from major cities had better oral health than those from rural areas; however, these differences were not statistically significant in this sample. CONCLUSIONS: Enlistment criteria appear to have been loosened as the war progressed, perhaps to accept more soldiers into service. Poor oral health was reported for approximately 1 in 7 accepted recruits. Maori appear to have had better oral health.

Ancient DNA analysis of dental calculus.

Dental calculus (calcified tartar or plaque) is today widespread on modern human teeth around the world. A combination of soft starchy foods, changing acidity of the oral environment, genetic pre-disposition, and the absence of dental hygiene all lead to the build-up of microorganisms and food debris on the tooth crown, which eventually calcifies through a complex process of mineralisation. Millions of oral microbes are trapped and preserved within this mineralised matrix, including pathogens associated with the oral cavity and airways, masticated food debris, and other types of extraneous particles that enter the mouth. As a result, archaeologists and anthropologists are increasingly using ancient human dental calculus to explore broad aspects of past human diet and health. Most recently, high-throughput DNA sequencing of ancient dental calculus has provided valuable insights into the evolution of the oral microbiome and shed new light on the impacts of some of the major biocultural transitions on human health throughout history and prehistory. Here, we provide a brief historical overview of archaeological dental calculus research, and discuss the current approaches to ancient DNA sampling and sequencing. Novel applications of ancient DNA from dental calculus are discussed, highlighting the considerable scope of this new research field for evolutionary biology and modern medicine.

Dental health and alimentation among the Quintana Roo Mayas: coastal and inland sites of the classic-postclassic periods.

OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study is to compare both dental and skeletal stress indicators of the Classic and Postclassic coastal and inland sites of the State of Quintana Roo, Mexico. The hypothesis is that coastal populations will show osteo and dental pathologies characteristic of a primarily marine food source combined with a diet of horticultural resources. This kind of alimentation provides people with less environmental stress and therefore a better health status. However, over time, in the Postclassic period, the health conditions deteriorated among both coastal and inland inhabitants, according to the hierarchization of the society, militarization, and commercial activities of all the coastal sites. METHODS: The sample was drawn from 19 sites (196 individuals of both sexes) from the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, as well as from inland localities within the boundaries of Quintana Roo. Both dental and osteological stress indicators were analyzed, and crosstabs were applied for absolute and relative frequencies and their corresponding χ(2) and F Fisher analyses. The osteopathological index of the coastal and inland sites of the Classic period were compared over time between the Classic coastal inhabitants and the Postclassic coastal inhabitants so as to understand how life conditions changed over time. The Mantel-Haenszel odds ratio, with the crosstabs controlling for sex (males and females), was also carried out. RESULTS: There are low frequencies of dental pathologies and anemia present in both the coastal and inland populations of Quintana Roo in the Classic and Postclassic times. Only the presence of periostitis is highly common in both types of site, and this is the only indicator with significant differences. The dental pathologies, anemia and periostitis, in general, present a slight upward trend in both the coastal and inland populations over time. The coastal populations have fewer frequencies of the above than the inland sites whilst, in the Postclassic period, both the coastal and inland sites register increased frequencies of all the indicators. Linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH) is the only indicator that does not follow this tendency. CONCLUSIONS: The analyzed indicators are in accord with the general tendency reported in the literature. The results revealed a general trend whereby the Classic inland sites display poorer life conditions than the Classic coastal sites. In the Postclassic period, this pattern changed because the frequencies of all stress indicators increased. The explanations regarding this tendency are related to the differential access to food resources between regions; coastal people had a varied diet and better sources of protein, taking into account the culture of alimentation, the type, and the sources (in general, fish) that have an important impact on the absorption of micronutrients and therefore greater impact on local health conditions. Also, it is plausible that they were able to access imported food through commerce (such as meat and vegetables/corn). The decline in health of the coastal people in the Postclassic period was probably associated with social stratification, increasing militarism, changes in the economic corpus, new pathogens, and the decline of the power structures prevailing throughout the Classic period.

Oral microbial diversity in 18th century African individuals from South Carolina.

As part of the Anson Street African Burial Ground Project, we characterized the oral microbiomes of twelve 18th century African-descended individuals (Ancestors) from Charleston, South Carolina, USA, to study their oral health and diet. We found that their oral microbiome composition resembled that of other historic (18th-19th century) dental calculus samples but differed from that of modern samples, and was not influenced by indicators of oral health and wear observed in the dentition. Phylogenetic analysis of the oral bacteria, Tannerella forsythia and Pseudoramibacter alactolyticus, revealed varied patterns of lineage diversity and replacement in the Americas, with the Ancestors carrying strains similar to historic period Europeans and Africans. Functional profiling of metabolic pathways suggested that the Ancestors consumed a diet low in animal protein. Overall, our study reveals important insights into the oral microbial histories of African-descended individuals, particularly oral health and diet in colonial North American enslavement contexts.

The neolithic demographic transition and oral health: The Southeast Asian experience.

The purpose of this article is to present new oral health data from Neolithic An Son, southern Vietnam, in the context of (1) a reassessment of published data on other Neolithic, Bronze, and Iron Age Southeast Asian dental series, and (2) predictions of the Neolithic Demographic Transition (NDT). To this end, frequencies for three oral conditions (caries, antemortem tooth loss, and alveolar lesions) were investigated for seven Southeast Asian adult dental series from Thailand and Vietnam with respect to time period, age-at-death and sex. A clear pattern of elevated rates for oral disease in the Neolithic followed by a marked improvement in oral health during the Bronze and Iron Ages was observed. Moreover, rates of caries and antemortem tooth loss for females were almost without exception higher than that for males in all samples. The consensus view among Southeast Asian bioarchaeologists that oral health did not decline with the adoption/intensification of agriculture in Southeast Asia, can no longer be supported. In light of evidence for (1) the low cariogenicity of rice; (2) the physiological predisposition of females (particularly when pregnant) to poorer oral health; and (3) health predictions of the NDT model with respect to elevated levels of fertility, the most plausible chief explanation for the observed patterns in oral health in Southeast Asia is increased levels of fertility during the Neolithic, followed by a decline in fertility during the subsequent Bronze and Iron Ages.

Dental health in Northern Chile's Atacama oases: evaluating the Middle Horizon (AD 500-1000) impact on local diet.

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.

[The oral health problems of Sun King Louis XIV]. / De mondproblemen van Zonnekoning Lodewijk XIV.

King Louis XIV (1638-1715) of France was a man plagued by a variety of chronic diseases, such as rheumatism, intestinal infections, fistula, headaches, chronic fever, malaria, urinary infections, gout, and chronic oral problems. At his birth, 2 deciduous teeth were already erupted, and at a very young age he already suffered from caries. In 1685, when he revoked the Edict of Nantes, a clumsy extraction of all maxillary teeth gave rise to a large maxillary bone defect and an oroantral communication.

[The oral problems of queen Elizabeth I]. / De mondproblemen van koningin Elizabeth I.

Queen Elizabeth I of England (1533-1603), probably the most famous English Queen ever, had persistent oral problems. Her oral problems were so serious that they probably hampered the Queen in the performance of her tasks.

[President George Washington and his oral complaints]. / President George Washington en zijn orale klachten.

George Washington, the first president of the United States of America, suffered for most of his life from continuous oral pain. Through letters, diaries, and other personal information from this president, much has become known concerning his oral problems and the level of oral healthcare in the United States in the mid and late 18th century.

Extramasticatory dental wear reflecting habitual behavior and health in past populations.

In skeletal remains, teeth are valuable sources of information regarding age, diet, and health. Dental wear is especially helpful in reconstructions of dietary patterns in populations of varying subsistence. In past societies, teeth have also been used as "a third hand" or as a "tool." The present article examines this type of dental wear and traits attributed to habitual behavior during prehistoric and historic times. Terminology and classification of habitual dental wear are described mainly by appearance, for instance, notching, grooving, cuts, scrapes, and polished surfaces, and their characteristics are illuminated by different case studies. Secondary health effects caused by the extramasticatory use of teeth, such as periapical lesions, tilting, skeletal changes at the temporomandibular joint, chipping, and antemortem tooth loss are also examined. During the examination of extramasticatory dental wear, information should be recorded on morphology, size, frequency, intensity, and location within the dental arch, as well as descriptions and detailed photographic documentation. The advantage of using a low- to medium-resolution microscope in all dental examination is emphasized. By categorizing the wear marks, characteristics are emphasized rather than an exact causing agent. In this way, tentative analogies for the origin of different extramasticatory wear, and consequently for human behavior in the past, can be avoided.

Dental health in adults and subadults from the 16th-century plague cemetery of Alghero (Sardinia, Italy).

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to examine a set of dental health indicators, including caries, periodontal disease, abscesses, ante-mortem tooth loss, calculus, and tooth wear of a 16th-century population from the city of Alghero, Sardinia (Italy), in order to evaluate the state of dental health and the diet. DESIGN: The cemetery is referable to the plague outbreak that ravaged the city in 1582-1583. A total of 160 individuals (81 adults and 79 subadults) were suitable for dental examination. RESULTS: The oral conditions of the urban population of Alghero are characterised by high frequency of carious lesions, periodontal disease, ante mortem tooth loss, and calculus, but a low prevalence of abscesses and moderate tooth wear are recorded. In general, no statistically significant sexual differences are observed, suggesting a uniform scenario for diet access and oral health. The subadult subsample shows moderate rates of caries and is affected by calculus. The results suggest that the diet was rich in soft and refined food, with a prevalence of carbohydrates and cariogenic aliments; the effects of the diet are associated with a lack of oral hygiene. CONCLUSIONS: The patterns of dental health observed in the Alghero population fit with the data observed in other Modern Age samples, reflecting increased prevalence of dentoalveolar diseases resulting from a less abrasive diet and an increase in carbohydrate consumption, as documented during the transition from the Middle Ages to the Modern period.

Early medieval diet in childhood and adulthood and its reflection in the dental health of a Central European population (Mikulcice, 9th-10th centuries, Czech Republic).

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to provide a detailed view of dental health in relationship to the diet of the Great Moravian population, with emphasis on childhood diet. DESIGN: We studied skeletal samples of the early medieval population of the Mikulcice agglomeration (Czech Republic) originating from the cemetery of the church VI (91 adults). Stable isotope analysis of carbon and nitrogen (intra-individual sampling - tooth and bone) was performed on this material, and dental characteristics (carious lesions, intensity of caries (I-CE), dental wear, linear enamel hypoplasia) evaluated. RESULTS: Isotopic signals obtained from tooth and bone samples of the same individuals differ significantly. Tooth samples show higher δ13C and lower δ15N than bone samples. δ15N in tooth and bone samples is related to socio-economic status. We discovered a relationship between isotopic signals from tooth or bone and intensity of caries and dental wear. CONCLUSION: We provide the first direct information about the diet of the juvenile part of the Great Moravian population from Mikulcice. The diet of children differed from the diet of adults. Children consumed more millet and less animal protein than adults. The social stratification of this population was obvious in dietary composition from childhood. Elites consumed more animal proteins than non-elite individuals. Tooth decay was related to relative consumption of plant and animal proteins. Greater dental wear is related to a diet based on C3 plants. There was no significant connection between diet composition and the formation of enamel hypoplasia.