Anatomical variations of maxillary lateral incisors: A comparative analysis of archaeological and modern populations from the Yucatan peninsula.

The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of anatomical variants of maxillary lateral incisors in archaeological and modern populations from the Maya region. Both populations were derived from the state of Yucatan, Mexico. The archaeological sample consisted of human remains representing 122 individuals from the ancient Maya archaeological site of Xcambo (AD 250-700). The modern sample consisted of 475 dental models from the municipality of Tahdziú, Yucatan. The anatomical variants evaluated included microdontia, barrel-shaped incisors, and talon cusp. The prevalence of each anatomical variant for each population was calculated and compared (Fisher p < 0.05). The prevalence of anatomical variants was 15.57% (n = 19) in the archaeological sample and 14.11% (n = 67) in the modern one; the difference was not significant (p = 0.666). When compared by specific anatomical variants, a significant (p = 0.013) association was observed for microdontia: 2.45% (n = 3) in the archaeological population and 9.05% (n = 43) in the modern population. Barrel-shaped incisors (p = 0.522) and talon cusp (p = 0.466) did not exhibit significant associations. The overall prevalence of anatomical variants in the maxillary lateral incisors in this region has not changed. The prevalence of microdontia has increased over the last 1500 years, and different microevolutionary processes may be called into question for such change.

Hide and seek: Impacted maxillary and mandibular canines from the Roman period Croatia.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this paper was to analyse the dental remains of an adult male with three impacted canines from the Roman period cemetery in Osijek, Croatia. MATERIALS: The dental remains of an adult male aged 35-45 years at the time of death were analysed. METHODS: Macroscopic analysis of dental remains was accompanied by radiographic examination. RESULTS: The individual also had additional dental pathologies (carious lesion, antemortem tooth loss). A total of 21 permanent teeth were present in maxillae and mandible. Eighteen of them were normal fully erupted dentition, while three were impacted: left maxillary canine and both mandibular canines. The left maxillary and mandibular canines were mesially inclined, and the right mandibular canine was relatively horizontally positioned. CONCLUSION: A case of non-syndrome impaction in which the lack of eruptive force in combination with the unfavorable position of the tooth bud might have resulted in multiple impacted teeth is presented. SIGNIFICANCE: Current clinical knowledge reports low frequency of this anomaly, with maxillary impaction occurring more often than mandibular. Furthermore, canine impaction is even more rarely reported in the archaeological material. The presented case is the only one from the archaeological setting with impaction present both in maxillae and mandible. LIMITATIONS: In modern populations multiple impactions are often associated with various syndromes. Since the majority of syndromes affect soft tissue, their association with impaction cannot be confirmed in archaeological populations.

Presence of dental signs of congenital syphilis in pre-modern specimens.

OBJECTIVE: Tooth morphology can vary due to genetic factors, infectious diseases and other environmental stresses. Congenital syphilis is known to interrupt tooth formation i.e. odontogenesis and amelogenesis, producing specific dental characteristics. Variation of those characteristics can occur, resulting in dental signs "not typical" of the disease, however, they are described in the 19th century literature. Past treatments of congenital syphilis with mercury also interrupted dental processes resulting in significantly different dental signs. The aim of this study is to examine the dentition of the oldest (pre 15th century) cases attributed to congenital syphilis to determine whether their dental processes have been affected by either congenital syphilis itself, its treatments (mercury) or a combination of both (syphilitic-mercurial). DESIGN: Comparisons of dental signs of congenital syphilis and its mercuric treatments as described by Hutchinson, Moon and Fournier in the 1800s and in standardised methods as established by modern studies, are made with the dentition of specimens found in archaeological sites in Mexico, Italy, Turkey and Austria dating back to the Terminal Formative Period, Classical Antiquity, Byzantine times and Middle Ages. RESULTS: The dentitions of a child from Oaxaca, Mexico, St. Pölten, Austria, and two juveniles from Classical Antiquity site Metaponto, Italy, show signs attributed to syphilis only. One adolescent from Byzantine site Nicaea, Turkey, shows dental signs characterised as syphilitic-mercurial. CONCLUSIONS: Dental abnormalities observed in Mediterranean individuals match a range of signs attributable to congenital syphilis and its treatments, more so than the New World case. Therefore, it is likely that these individuals suffered from congenital syphilis.

Carabelli's trait in Croatian populations over 1800 years.

Examination and comparison of the morphological features of tooth crown in archaeological and recent samples can be difficult due to the different levels of tooth wear seen both within and between populations. These differences make the comparison of frequency data for Carabelli trait problematic. The aim of the present study is to detect the frequency and degree of expression of Carabelli's trait in Croatian populations from late antiquity to recent times and to use these data as supplementary evidence of complex population migration. A total of 1287 individuals from the late antiquity, medieval, early modern and modern periods were examined. Correlation between the presence of Carabelli's trait and tooth crown size was tested. The results of our analyses show that the frequency of Carabelli's trait is significantly greater in the early modern period (51.3%) and in the 21st century (43.1%) than in the late antiquity (20.4%) and medieval periods (23.4%). These results are consistent with historical evidence of migration and population change in the territory of present-day Croatia throughout the almost 1800 years covered by this study. The results also provide additional evidence for the complex nature of population change in the transition from the late antiquity to the early medieval period.

Orthodontic anomalies and malocclusions in Late Antique and Early Mediaeval period in Croatia.

OBJECTIVE: Malocclusions are relative infrequently analysed in bioarchaeological investigations and if investigated the samples are very small. This research provides analysis of orthodontic anomalies of even 1118 individuals from the Late Antique (LA) and Early Mediaeval (EM) period. Aims were to describe the prevalence of orthodontic anomalies in this historical period and to analyse which orthodontic anomalies are best suitable for bioarchaeological investigations. METHODS: 1118 skulls were examined for anomalies of tooth number, tooth displacement (rotation, malposition, diastema and crowding) as well as for malocclusions. RESULTS: The prevalence of hypodontia in the LA was 41.02% and 30.61% in the EM sample. Tooth displacement was noticed in 15.63% individuals from the LA and in 12.42% individuals from EM. About 26% of the LA sample and 7.19% of the EM sample were affected with tooth crowding and the difference was statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Orthodontic anomalies affecting only one tooth or group of teeth are more suitable for examination in bioarchaeological investigations than orthodontic features requiring presence of both jaws and all or almost all teeth. Clinical investigation protocols and methodology should be adopted for bioarchaeological researches and international standards and recommendations should be established for this kind of investigation on skeletal remains.

Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria syndrome: its presentation in F. Scott Fitzgerald's short story 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button' and its oral manifestations.

Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS) was first documented in the medical literature in 1886. A HGPS patient has the physical characteristics and appearances of an elderly individual. In 1921, F. Scott Fitzgerald published a short story entitled 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button'. The main character of Fitzgerald's fictional work is born with a very rare condition in which he looks like an elderly person. The main difference between the fictional individual and individuals with HGPS is that Fitzgerald's character becomes younger as the years go by. This paper serves three purposes. The first purpose is to scientifically present the possibility that Fitzgerald consciously based his character, Benjamin Button, upon individuals with HGPS. The second purpose is to describe the rare condition of HGPS, along with its many manifestations in the head and neck region. The third purpose is to postulate that HGPS individuals might not only have the appearance of an aged person, but also might actually undergo true physical aging, which would enable researchers to gain valuable information into the treatment of ailments commonly associated with the natural process of aging.

Labial talon cusps: a South American archaeological case in the deciduous dentition and review of a rare trait.

Talon cusps are rarely reported developmental anomalies of the anterior dentition. They occur most commonly on the lingual aspect of the tooth but may also affect the labial aspect, and double (lingual and labial) talon cusps have also been reported. This study presents the first case of a labial talon cusp affecting the maxillary deciduous central incisor to be described in the literature. It was identified in a child skeleton from the archaeological site of Borgatta, north-west Argentina. The aetiology of talon cusps remains uncertain, with a combination of both genetic and environmental factors hypothesised to be involved. As a number of cases of labial talon cusps have now been published, this study presents a survey of cases in the literature to characterise the expression of this trait, and compares it with that of lingual talon cusps. The aim is to offer further insight into the relationship between lingual and labial talon cusps and their aetiologies. Differences between these traits in sex distribution, frequency of maxillary and mandibular cases, and the most commonly affected teeth are demonstrated.

Talon cusp in a primary lateral incisor from a medieval child.

This paper describes talon cusp in an ancient skeleton and is a rare report of its occurrence in a primary lateral incisor. As well as talon cusp, the affected incisor also shows abnormal widening, probably representing a double tooth. There is also a supernumerary permanent incisor. The report shows that talon cusp existed in British populations more than 600 years before the first written description. A brief review of the literature on the occurrence of talon cusp in the primary dentition is presented.

Prevalence of cervical enamel projection and its correlation with furcation involvement in eskimos dry skulls.

The objectives of this study were to investigate the prevalence of cervical enamel projection (CEP) in molars of Eskimo dry skulls and to study the correlation of CEP with furcation involvement (FI). The material consisted of 834 upper and lower first and second permanent molars from 133 Eskimo dry skulls. CEPs were investigated from the buccal aspect of the tooth and classified according to a system modified from Masters & Hoskins (12). FI was measured horizontally from the buccal aspect into the furcation with a graduated probe to the nearest mm. Any measurement > or = 2 mm was considered to have positive FI. The result showed a presence of 72% of CEPs among the examined molars. Grade III was found in 53%, Grade II in 9% and Grade I in 11% of the 834 molars. Lower molars had a higher prevalence of CEPs (78%) than upper molars (67%). With the individual skull used as the unit for analysis, a statistically significant correlation of CEP with FI was found in upper right 2nd molar, upper left 1st molar, lower left 1st and 2nd molars and lower right 1st molar. These results may be of clinical importance since the impact of CEPs to periodontal treatment of FIs has been discussed.

An assessment of the health status and physical characteristics of an early 20th century community a + Maroelabult in the north west province, South Africa.

As a result of mining activities, two related graveyards dating from the last decade of the 19th century and first half of the 20th century had to be relocated. This provided the opportunity to study 47 skeletons of black South Africans, with the aim of obtaining information on the health status and life style of people from a rural area in a mostly pre-antibiotic era. Although the sample is too small to do a proper palaeodemographic analysis, the age spread of the individuals indicates a high infant mortality rate and generally low life expectancy. Medical services were available, as could be seen from the surgically treated forearm fracture of one individual. One individual had signs of a possible treponemal infection, while subperiosteal bone growth on the ribs of another may indicate tuberculosis. High incidences of arthritic disease and joint degeneration probably indicate a high work load. Enlarged fontanelles with delayed closure were noted in some of the infants. Data on long bone lengths also indicate that the growth of the children may have been retarded in comparison to other similarly aged children. It thus seems as though this was a community under considerable stress. A surprising find was the unusually high incidence of individuals with dental abnormalities and variations.

Dientes natales y neonatales: revisión de la literatura: primera parte / Natal and neonatal teeth: a review of the literature: first part

Los dientes natales y neonatales han sido observados y resgistrados desde fuentes muy antiguas. Periódicamente, son reportados en la literatura médica y dental. Varios términos son utilizados para designar a los dientes que han erupcionado antes del tiempo normal, tales como congénito, fetal, predeciduo y otros. También han sido clasificados de acuerdo a su grado de madurez, en diente natal maduro e inmaduro o diente neonatal maduro e inmaduro, y la más utilizada es la descrita por Massler y Savara en 1950 que los clasifica en natales y neonatales. La finalidad de este trabajo es resumir los aspectos más importantes en cuanto a diagnóstico, pronóstico y tratamiento de los dientes natales y neonatales y la ilustración de un reporte clínico de tres casos que acudieron a la emergencia del postgrado de Odontología Infantil de la Facultad de Odontología de la U.C.V. en los últimos tres años.

Associated dental anomalies in an Etruscan adolescent.

Three fragments of the upper jaw of an Etruscan adolescent of the 6th century B.C. discovered at the necropolis of Cancellone 1 (Magliano in Tuscany, Grosseto, Italy) were examined. A triad of associated dental anomalies was found: congenitally missing second premolars, "peg-shaped" permanent lateral incisors, and ectopic (palatal) eruption of a permanent canine. These findings provided the opportunity to discuss etiopathogenetic aspects of the associations among different types of tooth abnormalities.

Dens evaginatus in a Chilean population.

A high rate of occurrence on dens evaginatus (DE) is reported in certain cultural groups in a Chilean population. Factors affecting the reported incidence of DE are discussed as are the clinical complications and treatment requirements related to this anomaly.

[Wedge-shaped defects of animal teeth]. / Keilförmige Defekte an Tierzähnen.

Wedge-shaped defects of teeth of animals are described. Only herbivorous and omnivorous animals showed them. It is suggested that in addition to a mechanical abrasion there are chemical influences on the organic component of the dentin.

Anomalous morphologic formation of deciduous and permanent teeth in a 5-year-old 15th century child: a variant of the Ekman-Westborg-Julin syndrome.

A gross morphologic anomaly affecting both the primary and secondary teeth of unknown cause is presented. A 5-year-old American Indian child exhibited macrodontia, extreme shovel-shaping, agenesis, three-rooted deciduous molars, dens invaginatus, and other less striking dental features. This case represents the earliest example of a variant of the Ekman-Westborg-Julin syndrome reported in the New World.

Premaxillary hyperdontia in medieval Norwegians: a radiographic study.

An excavation of a part of the graveyard of St Olav's church, Trondheim, Norway, uncovered 389 tombs from the medieval period (1100-1600). Radiographic examination of 140 skulls with an intact premaxilla revealed hyperdontia in the form of a mesiodens in two (1.4%) cases. This is within the same range as similar medieval and present Nordic populations. Change in functional pattern does not seem to influence the prevalence.

Developmental defects of enamel--historical and present-day perspectives of their pathogenesis.

Developmental defects of enamel are visible deviations from the normal translucent appearance of tooth enamel resulting from enamel organ dysfunction. In the past, information about the activities of the ameloblasts has determined the terminology used to describe the lesions. Advances in our understanding of the complicated secretory and maturation phases of amelogenesis have required a re-appraisal of the concepts of defect formation. The phase of ameloblast activity, the duration of the disturbance, and its severity leading to temporary or permanent inactivity of the cells determine the appearance of the three common types of lesions--hypoplasia, and diffuse and demarcated opacities.