Evaluation of deciduous-tooth wear in children living in the middle ages

To investigate the importance and range of tooth wear in deciduous teeth from the 14th century based on the examination of child skeletons from the Cedynia cemetery in Poland. As mechanical wear was widespread in early human populations, this study recorded symptoms of attrition and abrasion (facets and scoops), relating them to possible causative factors.

The study material comprised 84 child skulls (458 teeth) categorised into two age groups: 1. up to 7 years; 2. from 8 to 14 years. The degree of tooth wear was determined on the basis of a modified Smith and Knight's classification. Significant differences between examined features were determined by the chi-square and Fisher Freeman Halton non-parametric tests with the significance level set al p < 0.05.

Statistically significant differences between age groups in the canines and molars were found (p < 0.05). More advanced wear of deciduous teeth was noticed in the older group. There was no difference in distribution of tooth wear between the maxilla and the mandible.

Examination of children's dentition showed that wear of deciduous teeth rose with the age of individuals, which agrees with the referenced literature data. This study confirms the relationship between dietary patterns and tooth wear and corroborates a role of tooth wear in determining developmental age and growth of the masticatory system.