Teeth as bioarchives of metallic trace elements: a systematic review

Teeth serve as durable, incremental biological repositories that archive environmental and physiological exposures during development. This systematic review evaluates the capacity of dental matrices to function as chronological bioarchives of metallic trace elements and minerals. A systematic search of Scopus, PubMed, and Google Scholar was conducted to identify original research quantifying trace elements in teeth using advanced analytical techniques. Nineteen eligible studies were identified. The reviewed literature suggests that heavy metals, such as lead, cadmium, mercury, and arsenic, are sequestered within dental hard tissues, potentially preserving high-resolution timelines of prenatal and early-life exposures. Data from the included studies showed that dental concentrations of essential elements, like zinc and copper, fluctuated in correlation with nutritional variations and developmental shifts, while spatial distributions of barium and strontium explicitly mapped early-life dietary transitions, including the onset of weaning. Additionally, localized variations in uranium isotopes successfully identified environmental and anthropogenic radiological exposures. Teeth show potential as non-invasive bioarchives that offer a unique retrospective timeline of cumulative element exposure. However, their widespread implementation requires the establishment of harmonized sampling protocols and extensive validation studies to resolve biological and environmental confounding variables before routine clinical or forensic application can be realized.