Dates, caries, and early tooth loss during the Iron Age of Oman

Diets high in fermentable carbohydrates are known to be highly cariogenic, particularly when contained in very sticky food such as dates. This medium allows food to remain in contact with the teeth, thereby resisting the normal flushing action of the saliva. When comprising a large portion of the diet, food such as this can lead to high caries incidence and accelerated tooth loss. This appears to be the situation found in a skeletal series from the late Iron Age in the Sultanate of Oman (100 BC-AD 893). Dental remains from 37 individuals were used in this study. Antemortem tooth loss (AMTL), caries, and dental attrition data were compiled from the 32 adult and juvenile specimens. In this sample, the caries rate is 35.5% of individuals (39.4% corrected), and 18.4% of teeth (32.4% corrected), while AMTL occurs in 100% (ten of ten) of preserved mandibles. Caries onset in permanent molars begins soon after eruption, with tooth loss and remodeling of the alveolus frequently complete by the time of third molar occlusion.