Tooth loss in a 19th century British population

Abstract

The frequency and pattern of ante-mortem tooth loss was studied in a 19th Century British population and the findings compared with those available for present-day British and Nigerian populations. Ante-mortem tooth loss occurred principally in the molar and premolar area and increased in all areas with age. For those under 35 yr of age, the percentage of teeth missing in the 19th Century population was higher than in a 20th Century British population for all teeth except the first molars. For those aged 35 yr and above, the differences between the two populations were, with a few exceptions, not significantly different. In both age groups, the pattern of tooth loss in the 19th and 20th Century British populations was almost identical, while the pattern for the Nigerian population was markedly different and was only weakly correlated with the modern or 19th Century British populations.