engleski

Lower incisors width changes from medieval until today in Croatia

OBJECTIVES: Comparison of mesiodistal width of lower incisors in recent and early medieval population from continental and coastal part of Croatia. METHODS: The investigation was carried out on 403 intact lower central and lateral incisors (193 teeth from medieval and 240 teeth from recent times). Mesiodistal width of tooth crown was measured using sliding caliper. Results of the measurements were statistically analyzed by Student t-test. The level of significance was set at p < 0.05. RESULTS: Lower incisors belonging to the recent population from coastal part of Croatia (central 5.4+/-0.3 mm ; lateral 6.0+/-0.3 mm) had significant higher mesiodistal diameter of tooth crown than incisors from the continental Croatia (central 4.9+/-0.3 mm ; lateral 5.4+/-0.3 mm). There was no significant difference in mesiodistal width between teeth from continental and coastal Croatia in the Middle Ages. Medieval incisors from continental Croatia (central 5.2+/-0.3 mm ; lateral 5.8+/-0.4 mm) had significant higher mesiodistal diameter then teeth from the same part of Croatia but from recent times (central 4.9+/-0.3 mm ; lateral 5.4+/-0.3 mm). Comparison of incisors from medieval and recent populations in coastal Croatia showed that contemporary inhabitants of this part of Croatia (central 5.4+/-0.3 mm ; lateral 6.0+/- 0.3 mm) have higher mesiodistal diameter than their ancestors (central 5.3+/-0.4 mm ; lateral 5.8+/-0.3 mm). CONCLUSION: Mesiodistal width of central and lateral lower incisors was decreased from the medieval times until today in the continental part of Croatia, but increased in the coastal part. This could be explained by different dietary patterns in these two parts of Croatia, both in the past and nowadays. Different dietary patterns can produce different masticatory forces which influence the level of approximal tooth wear.

paleodontology; dentistry; odontometrics; Medieval; Croatia

nije evidentirano