The study of dental status through determination of the degree of preservation of paleoanthropological material

Abstract

Aim: To introduce a simple classification system for the degree of preservation and quality of the dentoalveolar apparatus into scientific circulation to further investigate dental diseases in ancestral populations. Materials and Methods: The sample analyzed consisted of the remains of 499 individuals from the human populations that existed in the territories of Ukraine from the Copper Age to the Bronze Age. Teeth and jaws were examined macroscopically under bright light; dental changes were evaluated by probing. Dental radiographic examinations were performed using retroalveolar and panoramic X-ray films in adult individuals. Results: The authors divide the dentoalveolar apparatus of fossil and subfossil skeletons into ten levels for further medical investigation of dental diseases. These levels depend on the preservation degree and changes in jaws and teeth. Conclusions: The study of bone and tooth preservation, determination of skeletal sex, and age characteristics is a separate section and stage in reconstructing the physical type of individuals and the health status of a community. Studying the taphonomic features of odontologic anthropological material should be a mandatory prerequisite preceding its analysis in paleopathology. The condition of the dentoalveolar system can be classified into ten levels for paleopathological conclusions. This classification will be helpful to doctors specializing in forensic medicine and anthropologists.