Assessing tooth wear progression in non-human primates: a longitudinal study using intraoral scanning technology

Area of Science:

• Dental research
• Primate dentistry
• Biomechanical analysis of teeth

Background:

• Intraoral scanners are established tools for dental applications like orthodontics and restorations.
• Their utility in quantifying progressive dental tissue loss, particularly in non-human primates, remains less explored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of intraoral scanning and specialized software for quantifying dental tissue loss in hamadryas baboons.
• To establish a reliable method for tracking wear progression in a controlled primate population.

Main Methods:

• Utilized an intraoral scanner (Medit i700) to capture serial scans of baboon molars over 2-3 year intervals.
• Employed WearCompare software for scan superimposition and subtraction analysis to quantify tissue loss.
• Assessed 62 teeth from 31 captive hamadryas baboons fed a consistent diet.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated high reliability of intraoral scanning for capturing tissue loss, evidenced by scan alignment and absence of erroneous tissue gain.
• Identified consistent wear patterns, with functional cusps exhibiting the most significant wear.
• Calculated an average tissue loss of 0.05 mm³ per mm² per year, with males showing higher wear rates than females.

Conclusions:

• Intraoral scanning provides a reliable method for quantifying dental tissue loss in non-human primates.
• Significant individual variation in tooth wear exists even with a uniform diet, suggesting further research into influencing factors.
• This methodology opens avenues for investigating genetic factors, different wear types, and microwear analysis in primate dental health.