Severe Plane-Form Enamel Hypoplasia in a Dentition from Roman Britain
Enamel defects can provide insight into the life histories of past individuals and populations, including information on a wide range of disturbances during childhood. This study investigates a particularly severe case of plane-form enamel hypoplasia from a Roman site in Gloucester, UK. Dentine prot...
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doaj-5186a0df1f004d1ca2f82ae3b2881bf22021-08-24T01:00:44ZengDental Anthropology AssociationDental Anthropology1096-94112017-08-013011624https://doi.org/10.26575/daj.v30i1.23Severe Plane-Form Enamel Hypoplasia in a Dentition from Roman BritainIan Towle0Eleanor R. Dove1Joel D. Irish2Isabelle De Groote3Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology, School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, John Moores UniversityResearch Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology, School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, John Moores UniversityResearch Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology, School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, John Moores University; Evolutionary Studies Institute and Centre for Excellence in PaleoSciences, University of the WitwatersrandResearch Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology, School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, John Moores UniversityEnamel defects can provide insight into the life histories of past individuals and populations, including information on a wide range of disturbances during childhood. This study investigates a particularly severe case of plane-form enamel hypoplasia from a Roman site in Gloucester, UK. Dentine protrudes above the occlusal enamel of upper central incisors, both upper canines, the lower left canine, lower right central incisor, and all four first molars. Given the morphology and location of these defects, along with the developmental timing of the affected teeth, such factors as molar-incisor hypomineralization, amelogenesis imperfecta, and congenital syphilis can likely be ruled out. The defects resulted from a nonspecific but severe physiological disturbance during the second year of life. Severe plane-form defects of this kind, where enamel formation has completely ceased, are extremely rare in premodern populations, and this example is one of the earliest reported cases. It has been suggested that these defects generally occur only in individuals that survived a life-threatening illness, which would explain the scarcity in the archaeological record, i.e., the afflicted individual would not have lived long enough for the defects to manifest. Comparisons with clinical examples and pathogen DNA analysis may provide further insight into the etiology of these defects.http://journal.dentalanthropology.org/index.php/jda/article/view/23/11 |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Ian Towle Eleanor R. Dove Joel D. Irish Isabelle De Groote |
spellingShingle |
Ian Towle Eleanor R. Dove Joel D. Irish Isabelle De Groote Severe Plane-Form Enamel Hypoplasia in a Dentition from Roman Britain Dental Anthropology |
author_facet |
Ian Towle Eleanor R. Dove Joel D. Irish Isabelle De Groote |
author_sort |
Ian Towle |
title |
Severe Plane-Form Enamel Hypoplasia in a Dentition from Roman Britain |
title_short |
Severe Plane-Form Enamel Hypoplasia in a Dentition from Roman Britain |
title_full |
Severe Plane-Form Enamel Hypoplasia in a Dentition from Roman Britain |
title_fullStr |
Severe Plane-Form Enamel Hypoplasia in a Dentition from Roman Britain |
title_full_unstemmed |
Severe Plane-Form Enamel Hypoplasia in a Dentition from Roman Britain |
title_sort |
severe plane-form enamel hypoplasia in a dentition from roman britain |
publisher |
Dental Anthropology Association |
series |
Dental Anthropology |
issn |
1096-9411 |
publishDate |
2017-08-01 |
description |
Enamel defects can provide insight into the life histories of past individuals and populations, including information on a wide range of disturbances during childhood. This study investigates a particularly severe case of plane-form enamel hypoplasia from a Roman site in Gloucester, UK. Dentine protrudes above the occlusal enamel of upper central incisors, both upper canines, the lower left canine, lower right central incisor, and all four first molars. Given the morphology and location of these defects, along with the developmental timing of the affected teeth, such factors as molar-incisor hypomineralization, amelogenesis imperfecta, and congenital syphilis can likely be ruled out. The defects resulted from a nonspecific but severe physiological disturbance during the second year of life. Severe plane-form defects of this kind, where enamel formation has completely ceased, are extremely rare in premodern populations, and this example is one of the earliest reported cases. It has been suggested that these defects generally occur only in individuals that survived a life-threatening illness, which would explain the scarcity in the archaeological record, i.e., the afflicted individual would not have lived long enough for the defects to manifest. Comparisons with clinical examples and pathogen DNA analysis may provide further insight into the etiology of these defects. |
url |
http://journal.dentalanthropology.org/index.php/jda/article/view/23/11 |
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