Dental caries prevalence by sex in prehistory: magnitude and meaning

Lukacs, John R.; Thompson, Lawrence H.

doi:10.1017/cbo9780511542442.007

Cited by 37 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 64 publications

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“…In general, females from both archaeological collections and epidemiological surveys tend to have significantly more carious teeth than males (National Research Council, 1952;Lukacs and Thompson, 2008), although a similar frequency between sexes has sometimes been reported ( Delgado-Darias et al, 2005). Many biological and cultural factors may produce this sexual difference.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dental diseases of human skeletal remains from the early-modern period of Kumejima Island, Okinawa, Japan

Irei

Doi

Fukumine

et al. 2008

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Human skeletal remains from the early-modern period (17th-19th centuries AD) of Kumejima Island, the Ryukyu Islands, were examined for dental disease, including dental caries, linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH), antemortem tooth loss (AMTL), and dental calculus. The materials used in this study consisted of 386 adult individuals, 105 male, 89 female, and 192 of unknown sex. The highest rate of dental caries occurred in the adult females. Female physiological events, such as pregnancy and menopause, as well as differences in food preference may have led to this sex difference, as suggested by isotopic analysis. The high incidence of AMTL in the older females indicate that the actual rate of dental caries must have been even higher. There were no significant differences in the rate of dental caries between prehistoric foraging and early-modern farming Ryukyu Islanders, probably because of similar dietary composition of C3 plant and fish. Adult females tended to be more affected by LEH, indicating that they experienced greater physiological stress during early childhood.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dental diseases of human skeletal remains from the early-modern period of Kumejima Island, Okinawa, Japan

Irei

Doi

Fukumine

et al. 2008

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“…The degree of sex difference in caries prevalence among the Bunun assemblage (male 12.0%, female 17.6%) is considerably greater compared to that of other Asian groups in past societies reported by Lukacs and Thompson (2008) (male average 8.1%, female average 10.9%). Therefore, it appears unlikely that the biological factors described above exclusively led to the sex-specific caries prevalence of the Bunun assemblage.…”

Section: Sex Difference Of Oral Disease Prevalencementioning

confidence: 67%

“…It is widely reported that females generally display worse dental health, especially caries prevalence, than males in past and present contexts (Walker and Erlandson, 1986;Walker and Hewlett, 1990;Larsen, 1997;Fujita et al, 2007;Lukacs and Thompson, 2008;Temple, 2011). One factor contributing to this sex difference could be female life history connected with reproductive ecology: cariogenic oral environments could be produced by changes in saliva composition and volume accompanying changes in estrogen levels triggered by menstruation and pregnancy (Lukacs and Largaespada, 2006;Lukacs and Thompson, 2008). In addition, two cultural factors may explain the sex difference in caries prevalence, both of which are related to the sexual division of labor in past societies.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sex difference in oral disease of millet agriculturalists from the Take-vatan lineage of the recent Bunun tribe of Taiwan

Okazaki

Tsai

2013

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Biological anthropologists have repeatedly demonstrated a sex difference of caries prevalence in past societies and have often ascribed this difference to cultural factors related to the sexual division of labor, as well as to biological factors stemming from the female reproductive function. Even though archaeological and historical evidence can hint at the prevailing living conditions, they are not detailed enough to confirm the cultural factors influencing oral disease. For this, skeletal remains in which the prevailing subsistence patterns have been documented by cultural anthropologists must be studied. This study demonstrates sex-specific oral disease prevalence (caries, antemortem tooth loss, periapical abscess, alveolar resorption, and calculus accretion) as well as degree of dental attrition, using the recent Bunun skeletal assemblage, one of the Taiwanese aboriginals. During Japanese rule, cultural anthropologists recorded that the staple product of the Bunun tribe was foxtail millet. Males were responsible for cultivation and hunting, while females were responsible for gathering and preparing foods. The results of this study showed the relatively high morbidity of oral disease, except periapical abscess, regardless of sex. The frequency of females suffering caries and alveolar resorption was significantly greater compared to that of males, and the inverse was true for calculus. Taking into account the fact that the Bunun tribe depend greatly on vegetable foods and smoke heavily, their high morbidity of oral disease is understandable. The combination of their higher morbidity in alveolar resorption and calculus is comparable to the Southeast Asian groups chewing betel nuts documented in previous studies. The sex-specific caries prevalence is believed to be related to the Bunun's typical and strict sexual division of labor. The inconsistency of the sex difference patterns between alveolar resorption and calculus might be related to the multifactorial origin of the alveolar resorption.

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“…It is widely reported that females generally display poorer dental health than males in past and present contexts, especially in the prevalence of caries (Walker and Erlandson, 1986;Walker and Hewlett, 1990;Larsen, 1997;Lukacs and Thompson, 2008). One factor contributing to this difference could be ascribed to female life history connected with reproductive physiology: cariogenic oral environments could be produced by changes in saliva composition and volume, which is accompanied with changes in estrogen levels triggered by menstruation and pregnancy (Lukacs and Largaespada, 2006;Lukacs and Thompson, 2008).…”

Section: -Fold That Of Females In Both Age Categories (Figure 5)mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One factor contributing to this difference could be ascribed to female life history connected with reproductive physiology: cariogenic oral environments could be produced by changes in saliva composition and volume, which is accompanied with changes in estrogen levels triggered by menstruation and pregnancy (Lukacs and Largaespada, 2006;Lukacs and Thompson, 2008). How- ever, the sex difference in caries prevalence among the Tuchengzi Warring States assemblage is considerably larger compared to other Asian groups in past societies reported by Lukacs and Thompson (2008) (male average 8.1%, female average 10.9%). Therefore, non-biological factors should also be considered as causes for the sex differences in the prevalence of caries among the Tuchengzi Warring States assemblage.…”

Section: -Fold That Of Females In Both Age Categories (Figure 5)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Variations in the oral health of millet agriculturalists in the northern ‘Great Wall’ region of China from the Middle Neolithic to the Sixteen Kingdoms period

Okazaki

Wei

Zhu

2013

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Variations in oral paleopathology have been widely documented among groups stemming from different regions or periods to clarify the relationship between human health and type of subsistence. The skeletal materials unearthed around the Great Wall in northern China are suitable for this aim since archeological studies minutely report the changes in subsistence in the area. We examined oral health in the skeletal assemblages of nine millet agricultural groups between the Middle Neolithic period (c. 3800-2800 BC) and the Sixteen Kingdoms period (304-439 AD) around the Great Wall of China, and found a consistent increase in the prevalence of caries over time. Although this finding is based on analysis without sufficient demographic data, the statistically similar age distribution among the groups suggests a minimum effect of sampling error. Further analysis using three groups that have a relatively large sample size for each sex and age category also showed an increase in caries, antemortem tooth loss, periapical abscess, and calculus prevalence, and a decrease in advanced attrition, suggesting an increased consumption of agricultural foods. This trend could be a result of a more tender/refined diet related to the development of food-processing techniques, which have been demonstrated by archaeological/historical evidence and stable isotope analyses. On the other hand, sex differences in oral health varied between the Jiangjialiang Middle Neolithic and the Tuchengzi Warring States samples. In the Middle Neolithic assemblage, the frequency of advanced dental attrition in males was 3-fold that of females, suggesting the sexual division of labor in this period. In contrast, in the Warring States assemblage, the prevalence of caries in young males was a quarter of that in young females, reflecting the difference of living environments between the sexes, where young males were probably under military conscription at that time.

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Dental caries prevalence by sex in prehistory: magnitude and meaning

Cited by 37 publications

References 64 publications

Dental diseases of human skeletal remains from the early-modern period of Kumejima Island, Okinawa, Japan

Dental diseases of human skeletal remains from the early-modern period of Kumejima Island, Okinawa, Japan

Sex difference in oral disease of millet agriculturalists from the Take-vatan lineage of the recent Bunun tribe of Taiwan

Variations in the oral health of millet agriculturalists in the northern ‘Great Wall’ region of China from the Middle Neolithic to the Sixteen Kingdoms period

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