The frequency and distribution of dental caries and tooth wear in a Byzantine population of Sa'ad,Jordan

The aim of this study was to determine the frequency, distribution and extent of dental caries and tooth wear in a Byzantine population in Sa'ad, to compare these with modern Jordanians, and to draw inferences about their lifestyle. Dental caries and tooth wear were examined in 1159 permanent teeth using direct vision and dental explorer. The location and extent of the lesions were recorded and evaluated according to defined criteria. The overall caries prevalence was 16.8% (n = 1159). Most of the carious lesions (13. 9%, n = 1159) were present in the tooth crown, on occlusal or proximal surfaces; 2.9% of teeth displayed root caries alone. The upper and lower central incisors exhibited the lowest coronal caries frequency, while molars showed the highest frequency. Attrition with moderate dentine exposure was evident in most teeth. Some teeth (9.8%) demonstrated oblique abrasion and 9 (0.78%) teeth exhibited cupped occlusal surfaces. The prevalence of caries was within the range reported for other Byzantine populations and lower than that of modern Jordanians. The attrition seen in most teeth and the cupped occlusal surfaces might be due to eating abrasive food, drinking wine or acidic beverages. Oblique abrasion on the facial and palatal surfaces reflects their business or craft, such as basket making and leather processing. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dental status of Napoleon's Great Army's (1812) mass burial of soldiers in Vilnius: childhood peculiarities and adult dietary habits

A mass grave of the soldiers of Napoleon's Great Army, containing no less than 3269 individuals who died during the retreat from Russia in December 1812, was uncovered during an archaeological rescue excavation in 2002 in Vilnius, Lithuania. General dental analysis, including that of dental wear, tooth loss, caries, calculus, and periodontal diseases and abscesses, was used to evaluate the oral health status and possible dietary patterns of individuals who represented recruits from almost all of Western and Central Europe. Growth conditions in childhood were studied by scoring of linear enamel hypoplasia. In all, 293 individuals (6528 teeth) were selected for the analysis; 20–30 year old males made up the majority of the sample. Their general dental status is characteristic of young individuals: low dental attrition and antemortem tooth loss, as well as low prevalence of calculus and abscesses. The caries rate was average compared with late Medieval/early industrial populations and typical for individuals with diverse diets. However, a considerable amount of pulp caries and a high number of carious teeth in some individuals indicate consumption of cariogenic products (e.g. sugar, sweet drinks) and poor oral hygiene. The frequency and severity of hypoplasia was lower compared with other populations of that time, suggesting the selection of the fittest individuals for military service; this correlates with the historically known selection criteria of that period. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

New insights into ancient environments using dental characters in Australian Cenozoic lungfish

Environmentally-related wear conditions and pathologies affecting the dentition of fossil lungfish from freshwater deposits in Australia have been analysed and compared with similar changes in the dentition of the living Australian lungfish, Neoceratodus forsten. Fossil populations from the Namba, Etadunna, Wipajiri and Katipiri formations in central Australia, and the Carl Creek Limestone and the Camfield beds in northern Australia were assessed.

Tooth plates from populations of living lungfish from the Brisbane River and Enoggera Reservoir in southeast Queensland were analysed for comparison. Tooth plates were measured to determine the numbers of different age groups in each population. They were assessed for abrasion, attrition, spur and step wear, erosion and caries, and for trauma and pathological conditions such as malocclusion, hyperplasia, abscesses, osteopenia and parasitic damage. AH of these conditions are related to the environment where the fish lived, are found in living members of the group, and can be compared directly with those of fossil relatives.

The results suggest that some of the fossil populations were at risk before climatic changes late in the Cainozoic destroyed their habitats. Some fossil lungfish populations, such as those of the Wipajiri Formation, exhibit active spawning and recruitment, good growth rates and a low incidence of disease and environmentally related damage to the tooth plates. Others, like those of the Katipiri and Namba Formations, include no young, and the adult fish were ageing and show environmentally-related damage to the dentition. Etadunna lungfish had active recruitment, but the tooth plates show a high incidence of attrition and caries. Riversleigh lungfish were actively spawning but did not grow large. Tooth plates from this latter deposit have a high incidence of pathological conditions. Fish from the Camfield Beds, where food was severely limiting, had little serious pathology but high levels of caries. Pathologies among living lungfish are common, but fossil fish were comparatively healthy, with few serious dental problems. Information from studies of fossil lungfish confirms that conservation of the few living species of lungfish depends on the maintenance of clean environments that provide adequate supplies of food and suitable sites for spawning and for the growth of young fish.     

Periapical lesions and dental wear in the early Maori

Dental wear and intrabony lesions were evaluated in a sample of 225 skulls (136 male) of pre‐contact New Zealand Maoris. The degree and direction of surface wear was scored according to the method of Molnar ( Molnar 1971 . Human tooth wear, tooth function and cultural variability. American Journal of Physical Anthropology34: 175–190) and revealed severe surface loss in both males and females with horizontal wear being the dominant pattern (62.4% male, 57.5% female). The width of coronal tissue above the pulp chamber, as well as the maximum depth and width of periapical lesions, was measured from both standard radiographs and digital images. The high prevalence of periapical pathology in the Maori underlined the extreme nature of dental wear in these people. It is postulated that this degree of tooth loss may be attributable to a change in diet from large birds to marine‐dependence, the introduction of the kumara to New Zealand, dental erosion and finally, to the excessive masticatory forces exerted by a robust facial complex on normally sized teeth. Fenestrated lesions were highly prevalent (83% of skulls) and were centered mostly on the maxilla, with an even distribution among tooth classes. The finding of periapical lesions in teeth with minimal observable wear was attributed to traumatic occlusion. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dental health at the transition from the Late Antique to the early Medieval period on Croatia's eastern Adriatic coast

Dento‐alveolar pathologies: caries, ante mortem tooth loss, abscesses, calculus, alveolar resorption and tooth wear were analysed in two composite skeletal series from Croatia's eastern Adriatic coast (Dalmatia). The first consists of 103 skeletons from seven Late Antique (3rd–6th century AD) sites, the second of 151 skeletons from three Early Medieval (7th–11th centuries AD) sites. As recent bioarhaeological studies (Šlaus, 2008 ) showed a significant increase of disease loads and trauma frequencies in Dalmatia during the Early Medieval period, the aim of this study was to investigate whether dental health was equally adversely affected by the Late Antique/Early Medieval transition. The results of our analyses show that the frequencies of carious lesions, ante mortem tooth loss, abscesses and alveolar resorption increased significantly during the Early Medieval period, as did the degree of heavy occlusal wear on posterior teeth. These data suggest a change in alimentary habits, with a significantly higher dependence on carbohydrates and a greater reliance on hard, fibrous foods requiring vigorous mastication in the Early Medieval diet. The combination of higher calculus and lower caries rates in the Late Antique series similarly suggests more protein in the Late Antique diet and is, therefore, also consistent with the hypothesised change in alimentary habits. In general (the two exceptions are male caries and female alveolar resorption frequencies) lesion frequencies increased uniformly in both sexes suggesting that the deterioration of dental health during the Early Medieval period equally affected males and females. Cumulatively, the collected data suggest that the political, social, economic and religious changes that characterised the Late Antique/Early Medieval transition in Dalmatia resulted in a clear discontinuity, not only from the cultural, but also from the biological point of view with an evident deterioration of oral health during the Early Medieval period. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Reliability of the Assessment of Periodontal Disease in Historical Populations

Periodontal disease is the destruction of all portions of periodontium. However, only periodontitis, based on whether attachment loss has occurred, can be detected in archaeological material. Therefore, several methods have been used to assess the frequency of periodontitis in past populations. The main scope of this study is to determine whether diagnoses of periodontitis through various methods are consistent with diagnoses obtained using the radiographic method. The samples (35 individuals, 576 teeth) were selected from Radom Cemetery's collection (in use between 1790 and 1811). For each individual, a periodontal status assessment was made using the following parameters: (i) measuring the distance between the cement–enamel junction (CEJ) and the crest of the alveolar bone (AC); (ii) the degree of root exposure; (iii) presence of the inter‐dental septum; (iv) dental calculus; (v) scoring system on the texture of the alveolar bone (Kerr's method) and (vi) radiography. In the studies, a correlation was found between the radiographic images and Kerr's method (r = 0.92) and root furcation (r = 0.96). Increasing degree of change on the alveolar bone is connected with increases in the CEJ–AC distance. A relationship between the frequency of the prevalence of dental calculus and changes on the alveolar bone was found. It means that the radiographic method, which is not always possible to use in archaeological collections, can be replaced by the presented macroscopic methods. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The periodontal disease status of the historical population of Assos

The science of anthropology obtains data on health, disease and death from ancient populations. Research on the skeletal remains of human teeth and surrounding tissues provides useful information on the evolutionary perspective of dental and periodontal diseases. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and severity of periodontal diseases in the skeletal remains of 33 Assos inhabitants of the 4th century BC. Three age groups were constituted for the studied population. Periodontal disease status was determined based on the textural and architectural variations of the interdental septum and the extent of bone loss. It was found that the prevalence of periodontal diseases increased with age. The severity of periodontal bone loss also increased with age and the mean alveolar bone loss between age groups was statistically significant (P = 0.004). This analysis of the dental health of ancient populations provides insights into the aetiology, patterns and distribution of periodontitis, which has a very complex disease pathogenesis. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Distribution of dental caries in an early 17th century swedish population with special reference to diet

The distribution of dental caries was determined in complete and partial human dentitions from a 17th century (1621–1640) city graveyard excavated in Gothenburg, Sweden. Sixty‐three adults and two children, divided into five different age groups, were studied. Altogether 949 teeth (943 permanent and six deciduous) were examined macroscopically using a dental probe and X‐rays. A high number of teeth had been lost post‐mortem. An increase in ante‐mortem tooth loss was found with increasing age. Sixty per cent of all individuals and 12% of all teeth showed signs of caries. The number of carious teeth per subject increased with increasing age. The highest prevalence of individuals with caries was found for the age group 26–35 (69%). Caries were most prevalent in the first, second and third lower molars (60%), while the incisors and canines in the upper and lower jaws were the least affected teeth (1%). The occlusal surface was the area most susceptible to caries (45%), followed by the buccal cemento–enamel junction (16%) and the approximal contact point (11%). This study shows that, although consuming a diet believed to have been lower in sugar content compared to modern populations, caries did affect a rather high number of individuals living in Sweden during the early 17th century. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Interpreting Oral Pathology at Machu Picchu,Peru

This study analyzes oral pathological conditions—caries, antemortem tooth loss, and occlusal macrowear—among adults (N = 70) interred at Machu Picchu, Peru. Previous isotopic diet reconstructions at Machu Picchu suggest substantial early‐life variation that may have narrowed somewhat by the last decade of life. This study seeks to further elucidate the intersection of diet, sex, and health at Machu Picchu by analyzing oral pathological conditions with existing carbon and nitrogen isotopic data. Observed caries prevalence is corrected to control for age and tooth loss, and is described for both anterior and posterior teeth; wear data are scored and reported for individual tooth types. Results indicate caries prevalence consistent with carbohydrate‐rich diets and no significant difference between males and females. However, no significant isotopic parameters are associated with caries prevalence in young adult males, while caries prevalence is significantly associated only with enamel carbonate δ¹³C in older adult males. Dietary protein sources, but not C₄ resources, are associated with caries prevalence in young adult females, and to a lesser degree in older adult females. Significant associations between occlusal wear and caries exist among young adult males and young adult females, but involving different tooth types. These findings suggest differential protein consumption at Machu Picchu between males and females, and separate masticatory and physiological processes shaping caries prevalence between the sexes at the site. This study therefore underscores the role that gender roles may have played in diet variation among this population and the need to account for sex in analyzing oral pathology. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Exceptional rates of dental caries in a scandinavian Early Iron Age population—A study of dental pathology at Alvastra, Östergötland,Sweden

The dental status of Early Iron Age agricultural populations in Sweden has not been extensively documented. The aim of this study was to record caries status in human remains from an Early Iron Age burial ground, Smörkullen, at Alvastra, Östergötland, Sweden. The study included 96 adults and 50 subadults and comprised 1794 permanent teeth in the adults and 468 permanent and 221 deciduous teeth in the subadults. The caries frequency was exceptionally high, afflicting most of the adults (92.6%): 46.2% of the teeth examined showed signs of caries disease. Most of the lesions were shallow. However, around 60% of the adult individuals had moderate and severe lesions, which probably had an immediate impact on health. Lesions were most common in the cervical region and this is probably related to dietary patterns where the starchy, sticky food tended to accumulate around the necks of the teeth. Children showed low caries frequency, whereas most juveniles (91.7%) were affected. Most of the teeth with alveolar bone loss showed no signs of cervical or root caries lesions. However, in cases of moderate and severe loss of alveolar bone, seen mostly in the older age group, the frequency of cervical and root lesions was higher. Few initial caries lesions were observed, indicating an aggressive pattern of disease in this population. The lack of gender‐related differences suggests that the diet was similar for both sexes, across all age groups. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Recording dental caries in archaeological human remains

Dental caries is an important condition to record in archaeological collections, but the way in which recording is carried out has a large effect on the way in which the results can be interpreted. In living populations, dental caries is a disease that shows a strong relationship with age. Both the nature of carious lesions and their frequency change with successive age groups from childhood to elderly adulthood. There is also a progression in the particular teeth in the dentition which are most commonly affected and, in general, the molars and premolars are involved much more frequently than the canines and incisors. Lower teeth are usually affected more than upper, although the condition usually involves the right and left sides fairly equally. In the high tooth wear rate populations represented by many archaeological and museum collections, there is a complex relationship between the form of lesions and the state of wear, which adds yet another range of factors to the changing pattern of caries with increasing age. In the same populations, chipping, fracture and anomalous abrasion of teeth are also common, and these contribute similarly to the distribution and forms of carious lesion observed. Amongst the living, the pattern of ante‐mortem tooth loss is important in understanding caries and, in archaeological material, there is also the complicating factor of post‐mortem tooth loss. Finally, there is the question of diagnosis. There are diagnostic problems even in epidemiological studies of living patients and, for archaeological specimens, diagenetic change and the variable preservation of different parts of the dentition add further complications. For all these reasons, it is difficult to define any one general index of dental caries to represent the complete dentition of each individual, which would be universally suitable for studying a full range of collections from archaeological sites or museums. Variation in the nature of collections, their preservation, tooth wear, and ante‐mortem and post‐mortem tooth loss mean that when such a general index appears to differ between sites, there could be many other reasons for this, in addition to any genuine differences in caries incidence and pattern that might have been present. It is suggested here that the best approach is instead to make comparisons separately for each tooth type, age group, sex, lesion type and potential lesion site on the tooth. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dental pathology and diet at Apollonia,a Greek colony on the Black Sea

Dental pathology has the potential to provide insight into the composition of the diet and to reveal dietary differences based on age, sex and social status. Human skeletal remains from the Greek colonial site of Apollonia (5^th to 2^nd centuries BC) on the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria were analysed for various forms of dental pathology in order to: assess the prevalence of dental disease in the population; compare the dental pathology data from Apollonia with dietary data derived from ancient literary texts and from previous stable isotopic analysis of the colonists' remains; explore variations in dental disease with respect to age and sex; and compare the prevalence of dental pathology in the Apollonians with that of other Greek populations. The composition of the diet, as indicated by the dental pathology data, is consistent with the stable isotopic evidence from Apollonia and with the ancient literary texts, both of which indicate the consumption of a relatively soft, high carbohydrate diet. The higher frequency of dental caries, abscesses, calculus, and antemortem tooth loss in older adults compared with younger ones reflects the age‐progressive nature of these conditions. The lack of significant sex differences in caries, abscesses, calculus and tooth loss corresponds with the stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic data derived from bone collagen, which indicate no significant sex differences in the consumption of dietary protein. In contrast, these findings conflict with the ancient literary texts, which refer to distinct dietary differences between males and females, and with the stable carbon isotopic values derived from bone carbonate, which indicate sex differences with respect to the overall diet. Despite the lack of marked sex differences in dental pathology, overall trends point to subtle dietary differences between males and females. A greater degree of tooth wear in males also hints at possible sex differences in the use of the teeth as tools. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Patterns of dental wear in the early Maori dentition

The levels of tooth wear were surveyed in 50 pre‐contact Maori skulls (23 of them female) from New Zealand. In addition to a generalized tooth wear index, we evaluated occlusal wear for erosion and abrasion. Occlusal microwear was also investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images and, finally, the occlusal slope was determined at the level of the first molar teeth. The general pattern of wear was one of severe occlusal reduction with no significant differences between males and females. Both silicone impressions and SEM views confirmed a large component (30%) of erosion. While most individuals had flat wear planes, 33% of males and 44% of females showed reversed Monson's curves. Accentuated Monson's curves were found in 23.8% of males. While these results confirm early studies of the excessive wear experienced by pre‐contact Maori, our study shows for the first time that erosion played a significant role in the dental wear of these people. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Fruits of Their Labour: Urbanisation,Orchard Crops,and Dental Health in Early Bronze Age Jordan

The analysis of dental remains, which outlast most other tissues in the human body, provides insight into past diet, activity patterns and ancestry. The remains from Bab edh‐Dhra' represent the only skeletal sample available to assess the impact of agricultural intensification in the Early Bronze Age of the southern Levant (ca. 3500–2000 bce ). This era ushered in a period of ‘urbanisation’, evidenced by fortified towns, planned roadways, developments in irrigation and growing population density. During this time, the cultivation, trade and consumption of orchard taxa (such as figs, grapes and olives) increased. This paper examines changes in the teeth associated with agricultural intensification involving orchard crops as well as grains. Dental caries, ante mortem tooth loss and dental wear are examined for Early Bronze IA (EBIA; 3500–3300 bce ) and Early Bronze II–III (EBII–III; 3100–2300 bce ) teeth from the site of Bab edh‐Dhra', located in modern‐day Jordan. Due to the commingling, general tooth groups (e.g. molars) and specific tooth types (e.g. lower left canine) were used to compare periods. Although age and sex could not be identified for every tooth, analyses of crania and os coxae showed no significant difference in demographic profiles of EBIA and EBII–III. No statistically significant increase was found over time in dental caries frequency; however, teeth for which the cause of pulp exposure could be determined suggested that caries increasingly led to exfoliation. Indeed, ante mortem tooth loss rose significantly with time, whereas dental wear decreased. In general, changes in oral health were consistent with an archaeological record of greater consumption of softer, stickier foods, such as fruits. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Pulp Stones Prevalence in a Historical Sample from Radom,Poland (ad 1791–1811)

This paper provides an investigation of pulp stones in a sample drawn from the historical population of Radom, Poland, dating to between ad 1791 and 1811. This study seeks to determine the frequency of pulp stones, and assess the association between pulp stones and sex, age, dental caries, and dental wear. A total of 780 teeth from 121 adult individuals of both sexes (45 females, 76 males) were examined. Analysis was limited to molars. The average age‐at‐death of each individual was estimated. Total wear scores across the molars were calculated for each individual. Pulp stones were identified by a portable dental X‐ray machine. Pulp stones were found in 94 of 121 individuals and in 273 of 780 molars. No statistically significant correlation was found between pulp stones and age‐at‐death (p  = 0.7625) and sex (p  = 0.0915), but a significant relationship was found between pulp stones and dental wear (p  < 0.0001) and dental caries (p  = 0.0016). Our study found that molars affected by highly advanced dental wear were significantly more often accompanied by pulp stones than molars that had experienced limited wear. Similarly, significant correlations were observed for dental caries. It means that pulp stone formation appears to have been contingent upon the irritation of the tooth crown by factors such as forces acting on the tooth crown leading to dental wear or dental caries. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Calculus,periodontal disease and tooth decay among the prehispanic population from Gran Canaria

In the prehispanic Gran Canaria there are some anthropological differences between the coastal inhabitants who buried their dead mainly in tumuli, and those from the central mountains, mainly buried in caves. Some data, as the prevalence of auricular exostoses, and a different bone Ba/Sr ratio support the view that there were differences in economy and diet between both groups of islanders. Moreover, the proportion of carious teeth was significantly higher among the population buried in caves. In the present study we analysed the prevalence of dental calculus, periodontal disease and antemortem tooth loss in remains of 791 individuals belonging to the anthropological collection of the Museo Canario (Las Palmas). Calculus deposition was very frequent (88.51%), no differences existing between men and women or between those interred in tumuli or in caves. Age at death was the only parameter independently related to calculus deposition by stepwise multivariate analysis. Periodontal disease was observed in 66.78% of the population, significantly more in men (χ² = 4.88, P = 0.027). No differences existed between individuals buried in tumuli and in caves. Antemortem teeth loss was observed in 64.73% of individuals, no differences existing between men and women or between those interred in tumuli or in caves. There was a significant association between calculus and periodontal disease (χ² = 18.07, P < 0.0001). Both caries (χ² = 8.40, P = 0.004) and periodontal disease (χ² = 44.96, P < 0.0001) were associated with tooth decay. However, the proportion of teeth with calculus deposition (in relation to observed teeth) was significantly higher among the population buried in tumuli (Z = 3.18, P = 0.001), although no differences were observed when the proportion of antemortem lost teeth and alveoli with periodontal disease were compared among people buried in tumuli and in caves, but women showed significantly lower proportions of alveoli with periodontal disease and antemortem tooth decay. These data suggest that the population buried in caves had a different dietary pattern to that of those buried in tumuli, since calculus deposition -more frequent in the latter-may be related to the consumption of proteins. The results also point to the existence of differences in diet between men and women.     

Dental evolution in prehistoric Native Americans of the Ohio valley area. I. Wear and pathology

Temporal patterns of tooth wear rates (loss of crown height) and dental pathologies (caries, abscess, and tooth loss) are estimated for 40 Native American populations of the upper Ohio River valley area ranging in time from the Late Archaic (ca. 3500 years BP ) to Protohistoric times (ca. 350 years BP ). Within this time span three ‘dental cultural ecological environments’ are recognized: high rates of wear, low frequencies of pathology (Late Archaic), low rates of wear, low frequencies of pathologies (Woodland, ca. 2500–1000 years BP ), and low rates of wear and high frequencies of pathologies (Late Prehistoric, ca. post-1000 years BP ). Phenotypic selection acting to maintain tooth size is associated with pre-ceramic, hunter–fisher–gatherers in the first dental environment. The introduction and development of ceramics at the end of the Late Archaic is associated with significant reduction in tooth wear rates and reduction in size of maxillary teeth, most likely due to selection. From at least the Middle Woodland period (ca. 2000 years BP ) to the end of the time sequence considered, tooth size in Ohio Valley Native Americans was stable, with minor fluctuations due to genetic drift. At present there is no evidence that major changes in diet at the beginning of the Late Prehistoric period affected tooth size, even though the frequencies of dental pathologies increased dramatically. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Radiographic analysis of dental development used in age determination of infant and juvenile skulls from a medieval archaeological site in Norway

Age determination based on radiographic examination of teeth and tooth development stages was performed on the infant and juvenile skeletons from St Olav's churchyard in Trondheim. All the 248 skulls with jaws and teeth were radiographed. Based on the apical closure of the second molar, 198 skulls were determined to be older than 15 years. In 38 of the remaining skulls the age could be determined radiographically based on tooth development stages. The age was below 8 years in 25 individuals (66 per cent). The correlation between the radiographic and a direct inspection age determination method was 0.969. The greatest discrepancies between the two methods were found in the age group 12–15 years.     

A dental study comparing age estimations of the human remains from the Swedish warship Vasa

The great Swedish warship Vasa capsized and sank in Stockholm harbour on her maiden voyage in 1628. The ship was raised from the seabed in 1961 and skeletal remains were recovered from at least 25 individuals, with teeth and jaws from 17 of them. The skeletal material was odontologically examined, including dental radiographs. Teeth lost both ante‐mortem and post‐mortem were recorded and variations in tooth anatomy noted. Acquired changes were recorded including enamel hypoplasia, attrition, dental caries and periodontal recession. Age estimations based on a separate odontological study, osteological changes and tooth attrition had been made in 1989. Ages were estimated additionally by three non‐destructive dental methods based on (a) the length of the apical translucent zone, (b) selected measurements both on intact teeth and from ratios on dental radiographs and (c) ratios of the length and width measurements on dental radiographs from selected teeth. Several sources of post‐mortem changes had been observed, among them vivianite in 33 teeth from four individuals. The results of the dental examination showed that few teeth had been lost ante‐mortem, there was a low caries rate and little loss of periodontal attachments. With few exceptions, there is fairly good agreement between the different methods of estimating age. Age estimates based on dental attrition were, however, significantly different from the other dental methods and age estimates calculated from apical translucency ought to be regarded with scepticism due to post‐mortem changes. The chronological ages of the victims will never be known, but age estimates based on all the age‐markers available will probably reach a fairly close approximation. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.