Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
TABLE 10.2 Basic Considerations When Choosing an Imaging Technique for Research in Dental
Anthropology
Imaging Technique
Advantages
Disadvantages
Possible Uses
Dental X-ray
Low cost; rapid results;
population standards
available for comparison;
nondestructive
Lower resolution than other
methods, cannot see
incremental development
Creation of population
growth standards;
individual ID; age-at-death
estimation of individuals
CT and
CT
Possibility of 3-D model;
with
Relatively high cost;
transport of specimens
usually necessary
Study of individuals or
small samples; morphology
and dental development;
with
m
CT, observation of
enamel and dentin
formation times;
nondestructive
m
CT
d
chronology of
incremental development
m
Histology
Detailed study of enamel
and dentin formation; most
precise age-at-death
estimation if teeth are still
growing
Relatively high financial
and time investment;
destructive
Study of individuals or
small samples; assessment
of crown formation times,
age-at- death, tooth
mineralization rates
Dental X-ray is a cost-effective, portable, rapid method that allows for the inclusion of
a large sample. In contrast, histological techniques, in addition to being destructive, require
a much longer time investment, which translates into increased costs and smaller sample
sizes. However, histological study can provide a level of detail that is unobtainable with
traditional X-ray by actually examining the daily deposition of enamel and dentin and
describing the timing of certain events in the development of the tooth. Likewise, CTanalysis
is cost prohibitive, which by extension limits the total possible sample size, but it allows for
the study of teeth and adjacent structures in three dimensions.
DENTAL PATHOLOGY
Caries
Dental caries (a.k.a. “cavities”) is caused by bacteria and their interaction with dietary
carbohydrates. The bacteria produce acids that progressively demineralize the enamel
and/or dentin, resulting in pits and decay in the teeth (
Hillson, 1996
). Initially, caries mani-
fests as a microscopic white or brown speck on the surface of the tooth that grows as infection
progresses. Once the infection grows, the white or brown area can be observed macroscop-
ically and may also be observed in dental X-rays (X-ray visualization is possible most often
only after the caries is detectable on the tooth surface).
Because of the link between consumption of carbohydrates and appearance of caries,
it stands to reason that populations that consume increased levels of carbohydrates
would present with more caries. Indeed, both historical (
Silverstone et al., 1981
)and
prehistoric populations (
Larsen et al., 1991
) show this pattern. In particular, a dramatic
increase in population levels of dental caries appears to have accompanied the
