An ‘Index of Oro-dental Disease’: A holistic method for understanding the impacts of different risk factors on oral health in archaeological populations

IF 1.3 3区地球科学 Q3 PALEONTOLOGY International Journal of Paleopathology Pub Date : 2025-01-06 DOI:10.1016/j.ijpp.2024.12.001

Anna M. Davies-Barrett , Richard Holliday , Nicholas S. Jakubovics , Sarah A. Inskip

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Abstract

Objective

To gain a more holistic understanding of oral health in the past by producing an ‘Index of Oro-dental Disease’ (IOD), incorporating multiple oro-dental diseases and accounting for differences in antemortem/postmortem alveolar bone and tooth loss.

Materials

UK Adult Dental Health Survey, 2009 anonymised dataset (N = 6206). Archaeological dental data from skeletal individuals from medieval and post-medieval Barton-upon-Humber, North Lincolnshire (N = 214, 1150–1855) and St James’s Gardens Burial Ground, London (N = 281, 1789–1853).

Methods

Creation of a formula for the production of index values. Application of the formula to clinical, ‘mock archaeological’, and archaeological datasets.

Results

Patterns in mean IOD values within different groups were identifiable regardless of preservation. It was possible to identify potential differences between IOD scores related to aging, tobacco consumption, geographical location, and time period.

Conclusions

Innovative use of modern clinical data and the production of ‘mock archaeological’ datasets provides validation of the IOD method. The approach may be useful for understanding the impact of different risk factors on oral health in the past, whilst also accounting for missing data and increasing comparability between groups.

Significance

Allows for the investigation of risk factors that affect overall oral health but manifest in different ways in different individuals, whilst also producing larger sample sizes.

Limitations

Impacts of age and posterior/anterior site positioning within the mouth suggest a careful consideration of age distribution and preservation of samples is required.

Future research

Future adaption and testing of the method on a greater range of population groups and different variables/risk factors for oro-dental disease.

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来源期刊

International Journal of Paleopathology PALEONTOLOGY-PATHOLOGY

CiteScore

2.90

自引率

25.00%

发文量

期刊介绍： Paleopathology is the study and application of methods and techniques for investigating diseases and related conditions from skeletal and soft tissue remains. The International Journal of Paleopathology (IJPP) will publish original and significant articles on human and animal (including hominids) disease, based upon the study of physical remains, including osseous, dental, and preserved soft tissues at a range of methodological levels, from direct observation to molecular, chemical, histological and radiographic analysis. Discussion of ways in which these methods can be applied to the reconstruction of health, disease and life histories in the past is central to the discipline, so the journal would also encourage papers covering interpretive and theoretical issues, and those that place the study of disease at the centre of a bioarchaeological or biocultural approach. Papers dealing with historical evidence relating to disease in the past (rather than history of medicine) will also be published. The journal will also accept significant studies that applied previously developed techniques to new materials, setting the research in the context of current debates on past human and animal health.