Primary double teeth in archeological medieval material from the area of Poland: A report on two cases

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate primary double teeth in archeological material from the area of Poland and a brief review of the literature on the subject. Two cases of fusion of anterior primary teeth in two infants from past populations living in eastern (8th–9th cent. CE) and southern (15th cent. CE) parts of Poland are presented. A macroscopic as well as a radiographic assessment of the teeth was performed, which, in case 1, included a periapical X-ray and CBCT imaging (Gendex–USA GXDP-800) and, in case 2, scanning with a SkyScan micro-CT scanner, along with reconstruction images made using NRECON SkyScan. In case 1, cross-section and axial CBCT images showed that the fused teeth were joined by dentin in the lower portion of the crown and had two separate pulp chambers and one wide root canal. In case 2, a cross-sectional microscan confirmed partial fusion with two distinct crowns, two pulp chambers, and one wide common root canal. The discovery of fused teeth in the remains of children, which are typically poorly preserved, is a rare event. Consequently, the reported first cases of double teeth originating from the 8th–9th and 15th centuries CE, found in Poland in Central Europe, are of great value, as they can be used to map dental anomalies in archaeological populations. 3D imaging technologies are essential to establish the final diagnosis of double teeth.