The Dentition: Development, Disturbances, Disease, Diet,and Chemistry

Abstract

The chief focus of this chapter is the dentition, with reviews of associated structures where relevant. Dental development, including the dentin and enamel, is discussed in the first section, followed by disturbances in the dentin and enamel in the second section. The third section looks at the identification of oral disease, including caries, alveolar lesions, antemortem tooth loss (AMTL), and periodontal disease. The fourth section focuses on interpreting oral health, particularly in the context of sex differences and major demographic transitions. The fifth discusses dental chemistry in terms of paleodietary reconstruction, breastfeeding and weaning, stress and disease, and finally mobility and migration. The final section examines dental calculus in the context of microparticles and then chemical analyses of calculus, with aDNA and protein analyses of dental calculus also reviewed.