Brief communication: Short‐ and long‐term in vivo human buccal–dental microwear turnover

Abstract

Buccal-dental microwear depends on the abrasive content of chewed foodstuffs and can reveal long-term dietary trends in human populations. However, in vivo experimental analyses of buccal microwear formation processes are scarce. Here, we report the effects of an abrasive diet on microwear rates in two adult volunteers at intervals of 8 days over a period of 1 month and document long-term turnover over 5 consecutive years in the same subjects under an ad libitum Mediterranean diet. Buccal microwear was analyzed on mandibular first molars using high-resolution replicas and scanning electron microscopy. Microwear turnover was assessed by recording the scratches lost and gained at each time point. Our results indicate that scratch formation on enamel surfaces increased with a highly abrasive diet compared to both pre-test and post-test ad libitum dietary controls. In the long-term analysis, scratch turnover was higher than expected, but no significant long-term trends in microwear density or length were observed, because microwear formation was compensated by scratch disappearance. Our results confirm that buccal microwear patterns on mandibular molars show a dynamic formation process directly related to the chewing of abrasive particles along with ingested food. In addition, the observed long-term stability of buccal microwear patterns makes them a reliable indicator of overall dietary habits.

Testing Dietary Hypotheses of East African Hominines Using Buccal Dental Microwear Data

“…In addition, forceful tooth-to-tooth contact and dental grinding are non-dietary sources of microwear features (both pits and scratches) on occlusal surfaces [45,47]. In contrast, buccal microwear is not affected by occlusal wear and dentine exposure [48] and has been shown to have a clearly distinct in vivo feature formation dynamics, and is likely to have a longer formation span than occlusal surfaces [49–51]. Buccal microwear is the result of the interaction of abrasive particles, such as plant phytoliths or silica dust, with the buccal enamel surfaces of teeth during chewing [52,53], as food particles move around in the mouth (mainly in an up-to-down and front-to-back direction) until they are swallowed.…”

Dietary proclivities of Paranthropus robustus from Swartkrans, South Africa

“…Grit may be the primary factor in the production of dental microwear (Sanson et al 2007;Lucas et al 2013). Experimental studies have shown that microwear forms when siliceous grit comes into contact with the teeth (Romero et al, 2012). In addition, Galbany et al (2014) and Romero et al (2012) proposed that the production of enamel microwear is dependent on particle size.…”

“…Experimental studies have shown that microwear forms when siliceous grit comes into contact with the teeth (Romero et al, 2012). In addition, Galbany et al (2014) and Romero et al (2012) proposed that the production of enamel microwear is dependent on particle size. For example, large particles are more likely to fracture the enamel surface, whereas small particles produce indentations.…”

“…Paranthropus robustus resembles C. apella and L. albigena in its elevated textural fill volume (Tfv). Elevated textural fill volume (Tfv) may derive from consuming hard and brittle foods (Merceron et al 2009) or is possibly the result of the consumption of soil and sand such as in T. cristatus (Brotoisworo and Dirgayusa 1991), or when grit inadvertently adheres to meat (Romero et al 2012). Grit may be the primary factor in the production of dental microwear (Sanson et al 2007;Lucas et al 2013).…”

Buccal Dental Microwear of a Barbarian Population from Prague-Zličín – a Study of the Migration Period in the Czech Republic

“…Moreover, recent research of the observed long-term stability of buccal microwear patterns has shown them to be a reliable indicator of overall dietary habits (Romero et al 2012).…”