Periodontitis in the historical population of Radom (Poland) from the 11th to 19th centuries

Abstract

Periodontitis can be an excellent indirect source of data on the general and oral health, dietary habits, and hygiene of past populations. This study assessed periodontitis in the population of Radom from the 11th century up to the industrial revolution in the 19th century. The dental material was divided into 3 historical series: the Early Medieval (EMP; 11th century), Late Medieval (LMP; 14th–17th century), and Modern (MP; 18th–19th century) periods. A total of 256 adult individuals of both sexes were examined with a total of 4,579 teeth. Four diagnostic criteria were used to diagnose the disease. Periodontitis affected 54% of the individuals from the Early Medieval Period, 71% of those from the Late Medieval Period, and 74% of those from the Medieval Period. In all chronological periods, the prevalence and severity of periodontitis were higher among males. The youngest (17–25 years) age class had the lowest prevalence of periodontitis. In subsequent age classes there are an increase the disease. The results indicate that the “environmental conditions” were different in these chronological periods. Possible differences could be related to diet, but oral hygiene, unhealthy habits, and psychological stress cannot be ruled out. Different levels of sex hormones could explain the difference in the prevalence of periodontitis between sexes.

Periodontitis in 14th–17th century inhabitants of Brześć Kujawski in north-central Poland

“…Many studies conducted so far indicate a higher prevalence of periodontitis in males (Kozłowski and Florkowski 1996, Garłowska 2001, Wasterlain et al 2011, Bonsall 2014, Novak 2015, Tomczyk et al 2018. Also in the studied population, both frequency and intensity were higher in this group.…”

“…In archaeological populations, the most important environmental factor was severe dental attrition. Dental wear beyond the contact points of neighboring crowns contributed to the formation of inter-2012, Tomczyk et al 2018). In general, the absence of uniform methods hinders the comparison of data reported by different authors.…”

A rare case of a supernumerary tooth (mesiodens) in an Iron Age (2470 ± 35 bp) skeleton from Koziegłowy (Poland)

“…It should also be noted that studies of historical populations are often on significantly damaged skeletal material, which could affect the gaps in our knowledge about the frequency of mesiodens in past populations. However, it should be emphasized that some bone collections in Poland (Tomaszewska & Kwiatkowska, 2019; Tomczyk et al, 2018), Norway (Evensen & Ogaard, 2007) and/or Croatia (Vodanović et al, 2012) have been radiologically tested and no mesiodens was found. Therefore, it would be of interest to determine in further studies whether any geographical variation was evident in past populations.…”

Enamel hypoplasia in a Mesolithic (5900±100 BC) individual from Woźna Wieś (Poland): a case study

“…General (systemic) enamel hypoplasia affects at least two or more teeth, which is caused by the general disorder of the body's functioning. This disorder may result from infectious diseases (viral or bacterial diseases and diseases causing high fever) (e.g., Nunn 2001, King et al 2002, malnutrition, or general metabolic disorders (deficiencies in diet componentsproteins; vitamins: A, C, D, K; elements: Ca, P, Mg, F) (e.g., Goodman et al 1992, Pitsios andΖafiri 2012). In this respect, the changes classified as general (systemic) are most relevant in population studies (Hillson and Bond 1997, Hillson 2002, King et al 2005, Ritzman et al 2008).…”