Enamel Hypoplasias in Archaeological Skeletal Remains

Linear hypoplasia of the deciduous teeth is rare in most human populations, but common where nutritional status is poor. Deciduous enamel hypoplasia, hypocalcification, and hypoplasia-related caries are described in Middle and Late Woodland skeletal series from the Lower Illinois Valley. Gross enamel defects that can be referred to pre-natal development are found in 83 of 170 children under six years of age at death. Circular caries secondary to hypoplasia is significantly more common in the Late Woodland series, reflecting the apparent higher cariogenicity of Late Woodland diets. There is a significant association between prenatal dental defects and bony evidence for anemia and infectious disease. Children with enamel defects show relatively higher weaning age mortality than those without. These relationships suggest that at least moderate levels of malnutrition existed in Illinois Woodland populations.

The rat incisor is an excellent model system in which to study amelgenesis. However, the information obtained has not been extrapolated to the human because of alleged structural differences between the teeth. The obvious differences include continuous eruption in rat incisors and an enamel rod pattern in rats which seemingly differs from the keyhole pattern of human enamel. A comprehensive analysis was made of those features of enamel structure considered fundamental to the understanding of its formation. This was done by applying the knowledge of amelogenesis obtained in rat incisors to the teeth of monkey and man. The following points of basic similarity were established between these species: (1) Interrod enamel is secreted first. It forms the side walls of cavities which are initially occupied by Tomes' processes. (2) The formation of interrod cavities is followed by deposition of enamel rods within these spaces. (3) The rods conform to the shape of the cavities and are secreted from one surface of Tomes' process. (4) At the initial site of rod deposition its enamel is continuous with the interrod enamel wall. (5) Growth of the rod compresses the process to one side of the cavity resulting in an arcade-shaped "space" between the rod and the remaining interrod walls. This study demonstrates that it is no longer necessary to postulate a keyhole structure for primate enamel, and it has established that a fundamental similarity exists in the basic structure and in the mode of formation of enamel in all three species.