Blue Bridge Lane
&
Fishergate House
Printed from the APC web site: navigation and non-essential images removed.
Please view on-line for full content (URL at end of document).
Dental anomalies are frequently encountered in populations from archaeological contexts. Most of these are congenital defects, including overcrowding of the teeth, congenital absence of teeth (hypodontia) and additional teeth (hyperdontia).
Crowding of the teeth occurs as they erupt without sufficient jaw space, leading to overlapping, twisting and displacement. Eleven individuals were observed to have crowded teeth, all of which involved the anterior teeth. In most instances, crowding affected the mandibles, although the maxillae could also be affected, or even both. This normally affected females (64%), which is not surprising considering that females tend to have smaller jaws than males. One juvenile and one adolescent also suffered from crowding. Their teeth were not fully erupted, suggesting that these children would have suffered from more considerable crowding as they matured.
Alternatively, the lack of space in jaws can cause impaction, malformation or even congenital absence of teeth, particularly of those which erupt last, such as the wisdom teeth (third molars) (Hillson 1996, 113). Unfortunately, it is not possible to identify whether a tooth is unerupted, impacted, or congenitally absent unless the jaw is radiographed.
Tooth impaction was as common in the past as it is today, and usually causes few problems. However, in few instances, tumours and cysts may develop, or the tooth may be resorped (Pindborg, 1970, 27). Impaction of a tooth can only be diagnosed once the individual has reached the age at which the tooth should have erupted. The latest teeth to erupt are the third molars, between the ages of seventeen and twenty-five (Hillson 1986, 193). Alternatively, impacted teeth may be observed in a broken jaw. Impaction of teeth can be caused by a range of factors, including lack of space, eruption at an angle, abnormal positioning of the tooth, abnormal crown size, retention of deciduous teeth and supernumerary teeth (Cawson 1991, 15; Pindborg 1970, 244). As radiography was not possible, a distinction between impacted and congenitally absent teeth could not be made.
Six individuals were found to be lacking third molars. All of these had very small jaws which did not provide enough space for the wisdom teeth. Both impaction and congenital absence of the teeth is therefore a possible diagnosis.
Five individuals were found to have anomalies regarding the tooth size or morphology. These included two individuals with more bifurcations of roots than is normal (C1305 and C1577). However, is not unusual to observe roots which have separated to varying degrees (Hillson 1996, 98).
apc > monographs > blue bridge lane & fishergate house > artefacts & environmental > human bone:
