Occlusal variation in Australian aboriginals

Variation of dental occlusion around established norms has frequently been related to industrialized or modernized life habits. This tendency has been tested among samples (n = 48) of older (originally nomadic) and younger (settled and rationed) Australian Aboriginals. Although significant differences are found in incisor relation traits, tooth malalignment, and relative arch breadth, these are slight compared to some other studies of peoples undergoing one-generation dietary westernization. Reasons for this might relate to concomitantly subtle differences in diet or masticatory habits, genetic buffering, attrition gradient, tooth size, biased sampling according to tooth retention, or fluoride in water supplies.