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Social and biological correlates of localized enamel hypoplasia of the human deciduous canine tooth
Author(s) -
Skinner M. F.,
Hung J. T. W.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
american journal of physical anthropology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.146
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1096-8644
pISSN - 0002-9483
DOI - 10.1002/ajpa.1330790204
Subject(s) - enamel hypoplasia , enamel paint , hypoplasia , dentistry , deciduous tooth , breastfeeding , deciduous teeth , medicine , biology , physiology , anatomy , pediatrics
Recent studies of teeth from prehistoric children have reported a localized, roughly circular patch of deficient enamel on the labial aspect of the primary canine, which reaches its highest prevalence in the Upper Paleolithic of Europe. This study reports social and biological correlates of 33 affected kindergarten‐aged children from Vancouver, Canada (2.4% of 1,350 examined). Affected children can be characterized as coming from low‐income families often of East Asian or Chinese origin in which there is a degree of milk avoidance and reduced breastfeeding. The defect appears to be due to minor physical trauma to the face approximately 6 months after birth occasioned by normal motor development, involving handling and mouthing objects, which damages the developing tooth crown through deficient cortical bone over the canine crypt. Reduced cortical bone in the face of the infant is attributed to nutritional factors, involving calcium deficiency, of the mother and/or developing infant.