ABSTRACT
We now move on to dental disease. The main dental condition experienced by past populations was caries – tooth decay – coupled with tooth loss and periodontal disease (gum disease). This chapter focuses on these conditions, particularly caries and what it can tell us about ancient diets. I also discuss dental calculus. This is mineralised dental plaque. It is a good source of preserved microscopic particles and biomolecules, so it can tell us about things as diverse as diet, environment, some activities/occupations, and the bacteria that lived in people’s mouths. Growth interruptions to the tooth crowns due to adverse events in childhood may be preserved in dental enamel. These can be studied either grossly or microscopically to reveal something about stress events people suffered while they were growing up.
