Investigation of the presence of Non-carious cervical lesions (NCCLs) in ancient adult skulls: analyzing data from prehistoric and historical samples through a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Historically, the prevalence of caries has undergone significant changes, particularly increasing with the industrialization of sugar consumption. When examining ancient populations, lower caries rates are discovered, attributed in part to dietary factors. These populations consumed abrasive foods, leading to occlusal wear and reduced non-axial occlusal forces, potentially influencing Non-Carious Cervical Lesions (NCCLs). Although some attribute NCCLs to abfraction, the mechanism remains debated. This systematic review aims to evaluate the presence of NCCLs in ancient populations, shedding light on the factors contributing to their occurrence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present systematic review was registered on PROSPERO, and the manuscript was prepared following PRISMA guidelines. RESULTS: After the literature search and article screening, data from 6 studies were included in the meta-analysis, with only 2 reporting NCCLs in ancient skulls, encopassing 17 subjects in 805 examined skulls, suggesting their presence even before the widespread use of toothbrushes. This finding indicates a potential etiopathogenic mechanism linked to abfraction, but the cause is complex and involves abrasive and erosive factors closely tied to dietary habits. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, NCCLs were present in ancient populations, albeit with a much lower prevalence. Their occurrence cannot be solely attributed to wear mechanisms but must be connected to abrasive factors related to diet or practices with religious and cultural significance, such as the use of labrets. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Th the knowledge of NCCLs presence in acient sculls is crucial today for better understand the associated risk factors. In this context, the analysis of ancient skulls allows us to discern the role that tooth brushing and diet played in the formation of NCCLs, over the past century.

Risk factors of tooth wear in permanent dentition: A scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Tooth wear (TW) prevalence is high and increasing and has important consequences on the patient's quality of life. Knowledge of risk factors is crucial to promote diagnosis, prevention strategies and timely interceptive treatment. Many studies have identified TW risk factors. OBJECTIVE: This scoping review aims to map and describe suspected available factors associated with TW in permanent dentition based on quantitative measurement. METHODS: The scoping review was conducted using the PRISMA extension of the Scoping Reviews checklist. The search was conducted in October 2022 from the Medline® (PubMed® interface) and Scopus® databases. Two independent reviewers selected and characterised the studies. RESULTS: 2702 articles were identified for assessment of titles and abstracts, and 273 articles were included in the review. The results show a need to standardise TW measurement indices and the study design. The included studies highlighted various factors, classified into nine domains: sociodemographic factors, medical history, drinking habits, eating habits, oral hygiene habits, dental factors, bruxism and temporomandibular disorders, behavioural factors, and stress. Results related to chemical TW (erosion) risk factors underline the importance of eating disorders, gastroesophageal reflux and lifestyle, particularly drinking and eating behaviours, which supports developing public health information campaigns and interventions. Besides chemical, this review identifies evidence of several mechanical TW risk factors, such as toothbrushing and bruxism; the influence of this last factor needs to be further explored. CONCLUSIONS: TW management and prevention require a multidisciplinary approach. Dentists are in the first line to detect associated diseases such as reflux or eating disorders. Consequently, practitioners' information and guideline diffusion should be promoted, and a TW risk factors checklist (the ToWeR checklist) is proposed to help diagnostic approaches.

Epidemiology, aetiology and prevention of tooth wear.

Tooth wear is a commonly reported finding globally; however, many patients are unaware of having tooth wear. Identifying early signs of erosion, abrasion or attrition and determining the risk factors contributing to a patient's tooth wear may help to prevent further loss of enamel and dentine in the future. Appropriate prevention should be instigated, or appropriate referral made to other health professionals, when conditions such as gastroesophageal reflux or eating disorders are suspected. This paper presents the epidemiology and aetiological factors for tooth wear, as well as identifying the common clinical presentations of tooth wear. Patient perspectives on tooth wear and preventive techniques that can be utilised are also discussed.

Association of Locus Xq26.1-27.3 with Erosive Tooth Wear Phenotypes in a Group of Adolescents.

Erosive tooth wear is a multifactorial condition of an increasing prevalence. There is a need for discovering individual genetic predisposition for the development of this condition. Considering that the chromosome X locus was previously shown to be associated with dental caries, the aim of the present study was to look for the association between this locus and erosive tooth wear when dietary habits are considered as a co-factor. Saliva samples, erosive wear experience data, and dietary information from 16- to 18-year-old dental patients (n = 705) were used. Genotyping analyses were performed, and thereafter, analyses considering diet and oral hygiene data, using logistic regression, with the assumption that erosive tooth wear is a complex gene-environment model. Genotypic analyses revealed an association between chromosome X marker rs1324156 and erosive tooth wear phenotype. Logistic regression analysis showed that, in the presence of less common allele of rs12687601 and rs1324156, erosive tooth wear more likely develops when associated with numerous dietary variables from the questionnaire. These results indicate that erosive tooth wear may be the result of gene-environment interactions.

Prevalence of tooth wear and associated factors: A birth cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the prevalence of tooth wear and associated factors in adults from the 1982 Pelotas Birth Cohort. METHODS: A subsample of the 5,914 individuals from the 1982 Pelotas Birth Cohort was randomly selected to be interviewed and clinically examined at the age of 31. Tooth wear was evaluated using a simplified version of the Tooth Wear Index (TWI), considering the absence or presence of tooth wear in dentin of first molars and anterior teeth (incisors and canines). Independent variables were socioeconomic, demographic, unhealthy behavior, and mental health. Crude and adjusted Poisson regression models were employed. A significant level of P ≤ 0.05 was adopted. RESULTS: A total of 537 individuals were evaluated. A tooth wear prevalence of 61.6% was observed. Females presented a statistically significant lower tooth wear in dentin prevalence ratio (PR) compared to males in the adjusted analysis (PR 0.76; 95% CI: 0.67-0.86). Acid beverage consumption (PR 1.22; 95% CI: 1.01-1.49) and consumption of alcoholic beverages (PR 1.19; 95% CI: 1.04-1.35) were positively associated with tooth wear. CONCLUSION: Almost 2/3 of the surveyed individuals presented tooth wear in dentin. Being a male, higher consumption of alcohol and acidic beverages were factors associated with tooth wear. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: There was a high prevalence of tooth wear in dentin in the adult population. Data has also shown the etiological complexity of tooth wear, reinforcing the importance of an early diagnosis and the establishment of preventive measures to decrease the potentially hazardous effect of tooth wear over time.

Tooth wear in patients treated with HIV anti-retroviral therapy.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to elucidate the relationship between HIV anti-retroviral therapy and tooth wear. METHODS: Assessment of tooth wear was conducted both with a survey questionnaire and clinical assessment at Russell Street Dental Clinic in Portland, Oregon. The survey questionnaire comprised of questions on study participant's gender, age, HIV status, current medications, awareness of tooth grinding or clenching, jaw soreness, tooth or gum soreness, and frequency of headaches. For the clinical evaluation, a dental provider recorded the degree of wear on each tooth using a scale of 0-3. An individual tooth-wear index was used to rank patients with regard to incisal and occlusal wear. Data analysis included descriptive analysis, tests of association and regression analysis using SPSS V.24. RESULTS: The study sample involved 93 patients (HIV + ve = 60, HIV-ve = 33) with age range of 20-90 yrs. (mean = 49 yrs., s.d = 13.3). 92 and 67% participants of the HIV + ve and HIV-ve groups, respectively, presented with tooth wear. The mean tooth wear index was higher in HIV + ve patients than HIV-ve patients (8.2 vs. 7.8), however, this difference was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). A significant, positive correlation was found between HIV presence and tooth wear index, after accounting for age (B = 0.71, p < 0.05). The number of years on anti-retroviral therapy alone was positively correlated with tooth wear index (R2 = 0.116, p < 0.05). After controlling for age, years of anti-retroviral therapy use was positively correlated with tooth wear index (B = 0.047, p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The findings from this study suggest that HIV + ve patients, who are on anti-retroviral therapy have significant tooth wear, although more studies with larger sample size are needed to confirm this. There is a critical need to initiate a dialogue with medical providers about tooth wear as a possible side effect of antiretroviral therapy and to introduce appropriate preventive measures.

Phenotypes of patients with extensive tooth wear-A novel approach using cluster analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Explore a new approach to identify phenotypes of tooth wear (TW) patients using an unsupervised cluster analysis model, based on demographic, self-report, clinical, salivary and electromyographic (EMG) findings. METHODS: Data was collected for 34 variables from 125 patients, aged 17-65 years, with a TW index > grade 2. Demographic information and presumed risk factors for chemical and mechanical TW were collected. A 14-item stress scale was completed and salivary flow rates, pH and buffer capacity were measured. Sleep bruxism was assessed with a portable single channel EMG device. RESULTS: The final cluster model comprised 16 variables and 103 patients and indicated two groups of TW patients; 61 participants in cluster A and 42 in cluster B. Cluster assignment was determined by several presumed mechanical risk factors and diseases affecting saliva. Cluster B had the highest percentage of sleep bruxism self-reports (A 1.6%, B 92.9%, p ≤ 0.001), awake bruxism self-reports (A 45.9%, B 85.7%, p ≤ 0.001), heavy sport exercises (A 1.6%, B 21.4%, p = 0.001); and highest percentage of diseases affecting saliva (A 13.1%, B 47.6%, p ≤ 0.001). A notable finding was the lack of significant differences between clusters in many other presumed risk factors for mechanical and chemical TW. CONCLUSION: TW patients can be clustered in at least two groups with different phenotypic characteristics but also with a large degree of overlap. Based on this type of algorithm, tools for clinical application may be developed and underpin TW classification and treatment planning in the future.

Diagnoses and Treatment of Dental Disorders in a Research Colony of Macaca fascicularis: A Case Series.

During daily routine oral examinations in a research colony of nonhuman primates (NHPs, Macaca fascicularis), a variety of oral-dental lesions were identified. A dental care program was established based on these findings. Based on the presence of dental clinical signs and their severity, 31 animals were triaged to be examined and treated by a veterinarian. Clinical examination consisted of visual inspection using a periodontal probe/explorer and full or partial mouth dental radiographs. Treatment was performed during the same procedure. Some animals had a follow-up examination including radiographs months later. Four common dental diseases were diagnosed: periodontal disease, caries, tooth fracture, and tooth attrition. Less frequent were dental abscess, enamel hypomineralization, gingival hyperplasia, hypercementosis, tooth luxation, tooth dysplasia, root resorption, abrasion. Less severe periodontal disease was treated conservatively. If severely affected, teeth were extracted. Well-circumscribed caries without endodontic involvement were treated by composite restoration. Teeth with extensive caries and pulp involvement were extracted. Teeth with exposed pulp were treated via extraction or orthograde root canal treatment. In this case series, 27 (87%) of 31 NHPs exhibited at least 1 moderate to severe dental lesion that required treatment. The presumable improvement in welfare and weight of oral/dental lesions for the overall health status in research NHPs encourages us to continue this program prospectively.

The Prevalence of Tooth Wear in the Dutch Adult Population.

This study aimed to assess the prevalence of tooth wear in different age groups of the Dutch adult population and to determine this tooth wear distribution by gender, socioeconomic class, and type of teeth. Results were compared with the outcomes of a previous study in a comparable population. As part of a comprehensive investigation of the oral health of the general Dutch adult population in 2013, tooth wear was assessed among 1,125 subjects in the city of 's-Hertogenbosch. The data collected were subjected to stratified analysis by 5 age groups (25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, and 65-74 years), gender, socioeconomic class, and type of teeth. Tooth wear was assessed using a 5-point ordinal occlusal/incisal grading scale. The number of teeth affected was higher in older age groups. Men showed more tooth wear than women, and subjects with low socioeconomic status (low SES) showed on average higher scores than those with high SES. Tooth wear prevalence found in this study was higher in all age groups than in the previous study. The present study found prevalences of 13% for mild tooth wear and 80% for moderate tooth wear, leading to the conclusion that these are common conditions in the Dutch adult population. Severe tooth wear (prevalence 6%) may however be characterized as rare. A tendency was found for there to be more tooth wear in older age groups, in men as compared with women, in persons with lower SES, and in the present survey as compared with the previous one.

Relación entre la recesión ósea y atrición en cráneos secos contemporáneos / Relationship between bone recession and attrition in contemporary dry skulls

Objetivos: El objetivo de éste estudio és observar la posible influencia de las fuerzas oclusales según el grado de atrición de las piezas dentarias sobre la altura de la cresta alveolar. Material y métodos: Se estudiaron dientes de cráneos secos de la época actual y secomparó el desgaste oclusal ó atrición (A) con la pérdida de altura de la cresta alveolar (CA) ó recesión ósea (RO) y ambos registros se relacionaron estadísticamente. Resultados: De todos los dientes estudiados 2 tuvieron grado de atrición (GA) 0, 170 grado 1, 96 grado 2 y 15 grado 3. Registrando la recesión ósea (RO) las medidas extremas promedio estuvieron entre 2,80mm y 5,30mm; la mayor RO promedio se encontró en la parte media de las caras libres (pieza 23) y la menor en distal (pieza 11). Conclusión: No hay correlación entre la recesión ósea y el desgaste oclusal ó atrición.

Aim: The aim of these work is to know the relaciònship between the bonerecessiòn and the attritiòn.Materials and methods: We taken 228 teeth belonging to 25 dry skullsof actual edge and we compare the bone recession (BR) with the occlusalwaer or attrition (A) and both to be related with a statistical analyses.Results: Of all the teeth studied, 2 had attrition degree 0, 170 degree 1,96 degree 2 y 15 degree 3. Regarding the BR the measures differ between2,80 to 5,30mm. The BR major average was in the middle of the free aspect(tooth 23) and the minor in distal (tooth 11).Conclusion: There are not correlation between bone recession andocclusal wear or attrition.

Estimated prevalence of erosive tooth wear in permanent teeth of children and adolescents: an epidemiological systematic review and meta-regression analysis.

OBJECTIVES: The main purpose of this systematic review was to estimate the prevalence of dental erosion in permanent teeth of children and adolescents. METHODS: An electronic search was performed up to and including March 2014. Eligibility criteria included population-based studies in permanent teeth of children and adolescents aged 8-19-year-old reporting the prevalence or data that allowed the calculation of prevalence rates of tooth erosion. Data collection assessed information regarding geographic location, type of index used for clinical examination, sample size, year of publication, age, examined teeth and tissue exposure. The estimated prevalence of erosive wear was determined, followed by a meta-regression analysis. RESULTS: Twenty-two papers were included in the systematic review. The overall estimated prevalence of tooth erosion was 30.4% (95%IC 23.8-37.0). In the multivariate meta-regression model use of the Tooth Wear Index for clinical examination, studies with sample smaller than 1000 subjects and those conducted in the Middle East and Africa remained associated with higher dental erosion prevalence rates. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrated that the estimated prevalence of erosive wear in permanent teeth of children and adolescents is 30.4% with high heterogeneity between studies. Additionally, the correct choice of a clinical index for dental erosion detection and the geographic location play an important role for the large variability of erosive tooth wear in permanent teeth of children and adolescents. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The prevalence of tooth erosion observed in permanent teeth of children and adolescents was considerable high. Our results demonstrated that prevalence rate of erosive wear was influenced by methodological and diagnosis factors. When tooth erosion is assessed, the clinical index should be considered.

Meta-analysis of the prevalence of tooth wear in primary dentition.

AIM: To conduct a meta-analysis of all the studies published in literature over the past three decades on the prevalence of dental erosion in preschool children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Pubmed data base revealed only one systematic review on the prevalence of tooth wear in children up to 5 years old. The search included works published from January 1982 to September 2012, using the following combinations of keywords: 1) "dental erosion" AND "children"; 2) "dental erosion in primary dentition"; 3) "dental" AND "attrition" AND "prevalence". The inclusion criteria for papers on tooth wear were the deciduous dentition observed only on the palatal and buccal sides with the distinction of erosion, attrition and abrasion. We took into consideration only randomized control trials. We excluded articles not written in English, case reports, historical and forensic studies, in vitro and in vivo studies. In case of doubt and/or when an abstract was not available, the full text copy of the article was examined. The first search on Pubmed revealed 29 articles, the same found in the study of Kreulen [2010], however we selected only multicentric studies focused on children of age below 5 years old, in which only the primary dentition (D) and only anterior teeth (incisors) were considered. RESULTS: Both forest plot and scatter plot showed the prevalence of dental erosion in primary dentition, and that older children had a more severe dental erosion. CONCLUSION: Dental erosion should be considered a paediatric dentistry pathological entity as well as dental caries, and it can be related to more severe systemic diseases such as Gastroesophageal reflux disease. In addition, taking care of these little patients is important because they might suffer persentiveness, and also pulpal pathology caused by the typical structure of deciduous teeth, where the pulp cavity is wide and close to the dentine and the enamel.

Common dental and periodontal diseases: evaluation and management.

Physicians may encounter patients with dental and periodontal diseases in the context of outpatient medical practice. It is important for physicians to be aware of common dental and periodontal conditions and be able to assess for the presence and severity of these diseases. This article reviews common dental and periodontal conditions, their cardinal signs and symptoms, outpatient-setting assessment techniques, as well as common methods of treatment. Physicians detecting gross abnormalities on clinical examination should refer the patient to a dentist for further evaluation and management.

Atrición dentaria en la oclusión permanente / Teeth attrition in permanent occlusion

El conocimiento de los factores que desencadenan o exacerban el desgaste dentario mecánico como resultado de la masticación o parafunción, sus consecuencias, así como el interés de detectarlos tempranamente, resulta de gran importancia. El objetivo fue evaluar el comportamiento de la atrición dentaria y su relación con la presencia de desgaste cervical y las alteraciones de la guía de oclusión. Se realizó una investigación observacional, descriptiva, transversal en pacientes mayores de 19 años de edad con atrición dentaria que acudieron al Servicio de Estomatología pertenecientes al área de salud del Policlínico Universitario Raúl Sánchez, Municipio Pinar del Río, en el período comprendido de enero a febrero de 2013. Se seleccionaron 60 pacientes mediante un muestreo no probabilístico por criterios, se les aplicó un examen clínico-bucal y se confeccionó la historia clínica individual. Los datos recolectados se analizaron mediante la prueba no paramétrica de ji cuadrado. Se determinó que el desgaste de grado 2 fue el más característico, la mitad de los pacientes con grado de desgaste 2 presentaron la alteración de función en grupo. El grupo de edad más representativo de la muestra fue el de 31 a 40 años, predominando el sexo femenino. La mayoría de los pacientes con atrición en dientes posteriores poseían desgaste cervical, mientras que este no estuvo presente en dientes anteriores con atrición dentaria. Se demostró la existencia de atrición dentaria así como la relación de esta patología con las alteraciones de la guía de oclusión y el grado de desgaste dentario(AU)

The development of knowledge concerning trigger mechanisms orB factors that exacerbate mechanical dental attrition resulting from mastication or oral parafunctional habits, its consequences, as well as the interest of its early detection is very important. The objective was to assess the behavior of dental attrition and its relation to the presence of cervical attrition and the alterations of the occlusion guide. An observational, descriptive and cross-sectional research was conducted in patients older than 19 years old with dental attrition attending Dentistry Service of RaC:l SC!nchez University Polyclinic, Pinar del RC-o municipality from January/February 2013; a non-probabilistic sample through criteria was used, 60 patients were chosen, a clinical-oral examination was applied to create an individual clinical chart. Data were collected and analyzed by means of a non-parametric chi square test. Degree 2 attrition prevailed; half of patients from this group presented this degree with alteration on functions. Ages from 31 to 40 were the most representative on the sample chosen, where female sex predominated. The majority of patients showed cervical attrition in posterior teeth, while anterior teeth showed no signs. The existence of dental attrition was demonstrated, as well as the relation of this pathology to the alterations of the occlusion guide and the degree of teeth wearing away

Prevalence of dental erosion in young adults aged 18 years in Poland.

AIM: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of tooth wear in young adults in Poland. METHODS: A total of 1,886 persons aged 18 years, selected on a basis of multistage sampling, were examined within the Nationwide Dental Health Monitoring Programme. Previously calibrated dentists measured tooth wear using the BEWE-scoring system (Basic Erosive Wear Examination). RESULTS: Out of 1,886 young adults, 42.2% presented the signs of dental erosion. Considered the severity of erosion, it was graded as 1, 2 and 3 in 28.9%, 11.9% and 1.5% of 18-year-olds, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Results of clinical assessment of dental erosion in 18-year-old young adults revealed that erosive tooth wear is an important problem in this age group. Of them, 13.4% had signs of advanced tooth wear which may lead to serious clinical problems in the future.

Pérdida de tejido dentario de etiología infecciosa y no infecciosa en niños de 11 a 13 años / Loss of tooth tissue of infectious and non-infectious etiology in 11-to-13-year-old children

El objetivo de este trabajo fue analizar la pérdida de tejido dentario de etiología infecciosa y no infecciosa en un grupo de niños que asisten auna escuelapública dependiente del Gobierno de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires. Fueron incluidos 86 niños entre 11 y 13 años, con edad promedio 11,8 +- 0,6 (DS). Previamente, los niños y sus padres o resonsables firmaron un consentimiento informado aceptando participar en el estudio. Se realizó: a) cuestionario referido a salud general, medicaciones, antecedentes referidos a la familia: ocupación de los padres y organización familiar, registro de bebidas de consumo frecuente, antecedentes odontológicos y medidas preventivas educativas incorporadas. b) Examen dentario previa limpieza mecánica y determinación de CPOD/CPOS, ceod y ceos y sus componentes de la muestra total y del índice significativo de caries (SIC) (Bratthall, 2000). c) Distribución de frecuencia y severidad de la erosión categorizada según el Indice de Desgaste Dentario (TWI) Smith y Knight modificado (1984). El componente c fue 0,35+-0,15 y el componente o de 0,35+-0,18 con ceod 0,75+-0,21. El componente C fue 0,95+-0,16, el 0 0,90+-0,17 y el CPOD 1,87+-0,24. La mancha blanca fue de 0,09+-0,03, la suma de c+C de 1,03+-0,16 y de c+C+ mancha blanca 1.12+-0,18. En el 50 por ciento de los niños no se registraron lesiones de caries en ambas denticiones. El SIC fue 5 +- 0,32. El 16,4 por ciento de losniños mostró pérdida de tejido dentario de etiología no bacteriana. La superficie más afectada fue la ocluso-incisal y el grado 1 fue el más frecuente. Estudios futuros deberían ser encarados en mayor número de niños/adolescentes con diferente nivel socioeconómico, factores de riesgo biológico y de estilo de vida, para relacionarlos con caries dental, erosión dental y su impacto en la calidad de vida.

Pérdida de tejido dentario de etiología infecciosa y no infecciosa en niños de 11 a 13 años / Loss of tooth tissue of infectious and non-infectious etiology in 11-to-13-year-old children

El objetivo de este trabajo fue analizar la pérdida de tejido dentario de etiología infecciosa y no infecciosa en un grupo de niños que asisten auna escuelapública dependiente del Gobierno de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires. Fueron incluidos 86 niños entre 11 y 13 años, con edad promedio 11,8 +- 0,6 (DS). Previamente, los niños y sus padres o resonsables firmaron un consentimiento informado aceptando participar en el estudio. Se realizó: a) cuestionario referido a salud general, medicaciones, antecedentes referidos a la familia: ocupación de los padres y organización familiar, registro de bebidas de consumo frecuente, antecedentes odontológicos y medidas preventivas educativas incorporadas. b) Examen dentario previa limpieza mecánica y determinación de CPOD/CPOS, ceod y ceos y sus componentes de la muestra total y del índice significativo de caries (SIC) (Bratthall, 2000). c) Distribución de frecuencia y severidad de la erosión categorizada según el Indice de Desgaste Dentario (TWI) Smith y Knight modificado (1984). El componente c fue 0,35+-0,15 y el componente o de 0,35+-0,18 con ceod 0,75+-0,21. El componente C fue 0,95+-0,16, el 0 0,90+-0,17 y el CPOD 1,87+-0,24. La mancha blanca fue de 0,09+-0,03, la suma de c+C de 1,03+-0,16 y de c+C+ mancha blanca 1.12+-0,18. En el 50 por ciento de los niños no se registraron lesiones de caries en ambas denticiones. El SIC fue 5 +- 0,32. El 16,4 por ciento de losniños mostró pérdida de tejido dentario de etiología no bacteriana. La superficie más afectada fue la ocluso-incisal y el grado 1 fue el más frecuente. Estudios futuros deberían ser encarados en mayor número de niños/adolescentes con diferente nivel socioeconómico, factores de riesgo biológico y de estilo de vida, para relacionarlos con caries dental, erosión dental y su impacto en la calidad de vida.(AU)

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.