Anglo-Saxon teeth could help identify modern health issues, study finds

Dental Tribune International

Thu. 13 September 2018

share

save

BRADFORD, UK: Unlike bones, children’s teeth continue to grow during periods of undernourishment and record high nitrogen values, providing a kind of archive of diet and health. A new study analysing the primary teeth of Anglo-Saxon children has found them to be more reliable an indicator of the effects of diet and health than bone is, and could help identify modern children at highest risk of conditions such as obesity and heart disease.

For the study, researchers from the University of Bradford looked at children’s skeletons from a tenth century site in Northamptonshire in England. The skeletons came from a group that was known to have been undernourished, which limited the growth of their bones and thus limited the evidence able to be gathered from bone analysis alone.

By analysing dentine from the primary teeth of the skeletons, the research team was able to create a picture of the development of these children from the third trimester of pregnancy onwards. They were also able to look at children of different ages to see if those who survived the first 1,000 days from conception, a period during which factors such as height are determined, had different biomarkers for stress than those who died during this period.

“This is the first time that we have been able to measure with confidence the in utero nitrogen values of dentine,” said Dr Julia Beaumont, lecturer in biological anthropology at the University of Bradford’s School of Archaeological and Forensic Sciences and co-author of the study.

“We find that when bone and teeth form at the same time, bone doesn’t record high nitrogen values that occur during stress. Our hypothesis is that bone isn’t growing but teeth are. So archaeology can’t rely on the evidence from bones alone because bone is not forming and recording during high stress and we can’t be sure, for example, of the age of a skeleton. Teeth are more reliable as they continue to grow even when a child is starving,” she continued.

“There is a growing consensus that factors such as low birth weight have a significant impact on our likelihood of developing conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and obesity and that the first 1,000 days from conception onwards set our ‘template’. By analysing the milk teeth of modern children in the same way as the Anglo-Saxon skeletons, we can measure the same values and see the risk factors they are likely to face in later life, enabling measures to be taken to mitigate such risks,” Beaumont explained.

The study, titled “Comparing apples and oranges: Why infant bone collagen may not reflect dietary intake in the same way as dentine collagen”, was published on 6 September 2018 in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology ahead of inclusion in an issue.

Tags:

Related articles

News Thu. 10 May 2018

Study finds acupuncture could help with dental anxiety

YORK, UK: Fear of the dentist is something some people suffer from more than others. With multiple reasons for dental anxiety and its effects, there is ...

News Mon. 25 November 2019

Study finds chewing gum could help fight dental caries

LONDON, UK: Though the relative benefits of chewing gum are often subject to debate, a number of studies have shown that the sugar-free varieties can ...

News Tue. 13 February 2018

Study reveals smokers unaware of when health issues could arise

GUILDFORD, UK: Many people still smoke despite warnings and information regarding the health-damaging consequences. In a new study researchers from the ...

News Thu. 23 April 2015

Victorian baby teeth could help predict future health of children today

BRADFORD/DURHAM, UK: A team of researchers at the University of Bradford and Durham University has analysed the teeth of children and adults from two ...

News Wed. 11 October 2023

Common diabetes drug could treat periodontal disease and help with healthy ageing, study claims

A new method of controlling inflammation and sugar levels for oral and systemic disease prevention using a common diabetes drug has been discovered by a ...

News Wed. 13 February 2013

No. 1 song could help children brush their teeth effectively

BRIGHTON – A musician and a dental professional from England have developed a musical formula that encourages children to brush their teeth ...

News Thu. 28 June 2018

Study finds British athletes have poor oral health

LONDON, UK: Though elite athletes generally possess an enviable level of physical fitness, a recent study has shown that their oral health may leave much to...

News Thu. 8 June 2023

New Oral Health Foundation report finds preventative intervention could save patients and NHS millions

A new report commissioned by the Wrigley Oral Healthcare Programme has found that rolling out three preventative oral health interventions could reduce ...

News Thu. 7 November 2019

Dental radiographs pose potential hazard to human health, study finds

BRIGHTON, UK/ATLANTA, US: The incidence of thyroid cancer and meningioma is increasing globally. New research has found that repeated exposure to dental ...

Education

Live webinar
Wed. 17 April 2024
3:00 pm UTC (London)

Mundtrockenheit: Was tun, wenn die Spucke wegbleibt?

Dr. Ralf Seltmann M.A.

Register now

1CE

Live webinar
Wed. 17 April 2024
5:00 pm UTC (London)

Parallelen zwischen Rauchstopp und Prävention in der Zahnmedizin

Dr. Alexander Nussbaum Head of Scientific & Medical Affairs, Philip Morris GmbH, Dr. Björn Eggert

Register now

1CE

Live webinar
Wed. 17 April 2024
11:00 pm UTC (London)

Consideraciones y cuidados en la rehabilitación: ¿Cómo escoger el aditamento?

Dra. Gabriella Peñarrieta Juanito

Register now

Live webinar
Thu. 18 April 2024
4:00 pm UTC (London)

Treatment approaches of advanced periodontal diseases in our daily clinical practice

Dr. Cem Yıldız

Register now

Live webinar
Mon. 22 April 2024
3:00 pm UTC (London)

Precision in practice: Elevating clinical communication

Prof. Dr. Erdem Kilic, Prof. Dr. Kerem Kilic

Register now

Live webinar
Tue. 23 April 2024
6:00 pm UTC (London)

Growing your dental practice or DSO with better financial operations

Mr. Peter Yu

Register now

Live webinar
Wed. 24 April 2024
1:00 pm UTC (London)

YITI Lounge: Navigating modern implant dentistry—from prosthetic planning to digital verification, are we there yet?

Dr. Yin Ci Lee BDS (PIDC), MFDS RCS, DClinDent Prosthodontics, Dr. Ghida Lawand BDS, MSc, Dr. Oon Take Yeoh, Dr. Edward Chaoho Chien DDS, DScD

Register now