Keywords
Dental caries; bioarchaeology; juveniles; possible explanations; thesis; Túcume
Abstract
Dental caries have been identified for several centuries as a common pathology within individuals’ mouths, more specifically in the posterior teeth surfaces (Jesudass, Prabhu, Rajajee, & Sudheer, 2014). Although there have been modern procedures and preventative methods developed to help treat dental caries, in ancient times this was not always the case. The persistence of anterior teeth dental caries in juveniles is a unique pathology observed in Túcume that has not been studied yet. Through the analysis of skeletal samples, this research aims to study the specific case of the formation of anterior deciduous dental caries in juveniles located at the archaeological site of Túcume, Peru, while trying to understand the factors that might have caused them. Observational-based analysis was used to gather data, which was then used to test the proposed hypotheses that aimed to identify possible dental pathology (anterior deciduous dental caries) patterns. The sample size consisted of a dental inventory generated from the skeletal remains of 32 juveniles (< 7 years) that were excavated from Túcume. It was discovered that not all juveniles had the presence of anterior deciduous dental caries in Túcume. The discussion of this research explores possible explanations that may have contributed to the formation of anterior deciduous dental caries. Possible explanations that will be discussed include breastfeeding, The Osteological Paradox (DeWitte & Stojanowski, 2015), genetics, stress, socioeconomic levels, biomechanics and evolution of the mandible, maxilla, and teeth, non-dietary objects, and Andean weaning practices. In doing so, this research aims to provide great improvements in understanding oral health care and creating preventative measures to help avoid oral diseases starting at a young age.
Thesis Completion Year
2024
Thesis Completion Semester
Spring
Thesis Chair
Toyne, Jennifer
College
College of Sciences
Department
Anthropology
Thesis Discipline
Anthropological Studies
Language
English
Access Status
Open Access
Length of Campus Access
None
Campus Location
Orlando (Main) Campus
STARS Citation
Patel, Nidhi S., "Bioarchaeological Study of Patterns of Juvenile Oral Health in Ancient Peru" (2024). Honors Undergraduate Theses. 118.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/hut2024/118
Included in
Dentistry Commons, Medical Education Commons, Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases Commons
Rights Statement
