Tooth Cementum Annulation Method Research Articles

Stressful times for women - Increased physiological stress in Neolithic females detected in tooth cementum

We used the tooth cementum annulation method (TCA) to investigate physiological stress before and during the Neolithic demographic transition in Europe. Episodes of physiological stress are reflected as “stress layers” in the tooth cementum at an almost annual resolution. We used the TCA method to detect and count the number of the stress events for a sample of 21 Mesolithic and 25 Neolithic individuals from the Central Balkans from the period between 9500 and 5400 years BC. In accord with the theory of the Neolithic demographic transition, we hypothesize that the Neolithic individuals will have more stress than the Mesolithic individuals. Our results suggest that the Neolithic females had significantly more stress layers in the tooth cementum per year of life than the Mesolithic females. The difference between Mesolithic and Neolithic males was not statistically significant. We conclude that Neolithic women had more physiological stress episodes than Mesolithic women. The differential pattern between sexes, combined with the fact that pregnancies are one of the major causes of stress layer formation in tooth cementum, might indicate that the observed differences are mostly due to increased fertility in the Neolithic.

Quantifying prehistoric physiological stress using the TCA method:

The Neolithic way of life was accompanied by an increase in various forms of physiological stress (e.g. disease, malnutrition). Here we use the method of tooth cementum annulation (TCA) analysis in order to detect physiological stress that is probably related to calcium metabolism. The TCA method is applied to a sample of teeth from three Mesolithic and five Neolithic individuals from the Central Balkans. The average number of physiological stress episodes is higher in the Neolithic group – but the statistical significance of this result cannot be evaluated due to the small sample size, therefore these results should be taken as preliminary.

Quantifying prehistoric physiological stress using the TCA method:

The Neolithic way of life was accompanied by an increase in various forms of physiological stress (e.g. disease, malnutrition). Here we use the method of tooth cementum annulation (TCA) analysis in order to detect physiological stress that is probably related to calcium metabolism. The TCA method is applied to a sample of teeth from three Mesolithic and five Neolithic individuals from the Central Balkans. The average number of physiological stress episodes is higher in the Neolithic group – but the statistical significance of this result cannot be evaluated due to the small sample size, therefore these results should be taken as preliminary.

Cementochronology: A solution to assess mortality profiles from individual age-at-death estimates

ObjectivesBecause of methodological biases and statistical issues, individual age estimation has been considered too imprecise in reconstructing valid palaeodemographic mortality profiles. Recently, the standardized procedure of cementochronology (the tooth cementum annulations method) has reduced technical biases, thus increasing the accuracy of age estimates. This study aims to test the reliability of cementochronology in estimating the age distribution of an archaeological sample to then build the corresponding abridged life table to assess demographic parameters of the living population. Materials and methodsBy combining cementochronology with probability density analysis, we assessed the cumulative probabilistic age-at-death distribution of 109 adults buried between the 16th and 18th centuries in Notre-Dame-du-Bourg Cathedral (France). We compared biological results to the age-at-death structure of the 1382 adults buried in the cathedral, calculated with historical sources from local death registers, and to a model life table specifically established for preindustrial populations. ResultsCementochronology is reliable for estimating the mortality profile of young and middle adult age categories but underestimates older age categories. DiscussionTaphonomy mainly explains the underestimation in elderly individuals. Although some issues remain to be addressedin order to properly implement the method and improve reliability, cementochronology makes a major contribution to palaeodemography, as it provides relatively reliable mortality profiles with a precision never attained before, thus offering new prospects for studying the mortality of past populations.

Age estimation using tooth cementum annulations method by different types of microscope: A comparative study

Introduction: Age is an essential factor in establishing the identity of a person. Age estimation through dental parameters can be of valuable assistance in human identification as teeth can survive in most conditions encountered at death and during decomposition. Tooth cementum annulations are one of the many methods for determination of an individual's age. Incremental lines in cementum are counted in this method. Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the correlation between chronologic age and estimated age and to find the most accurate method of calculating cemental annulations using different types of microscopes (light microscope, phase contrast microscope, polarized, and stereomicroscope). Methodology: The extracted teeth were cleaned and polished. Block was prepared by embedding two third of each tooth root horizontally in self-cure acrylic. Using a hard tissue microtome (SP 1600) longitudinal sections of 100 μm thickness were made. The sections were cleaned in alcohol and were mounted on a glass slide. These sections were observed under different types of microscopes (light microscope, phase contrast microscope, polarized, and stereomicroscope) to count cemental annulations. Results: The relationship between chronological age and estimated age using light microscope, phase contrast and polarized microscope showed stronger correlation while stereo microscope showed a weaker correlation. Conclusion: The use of polarized microscope increases the accuracy and thus, can predict the near estimate of the age for all the age groups.

Age estimation by cemental annulation rings.

Context:Tooth plays a pivotal role in the identification of a person when all other remains are ruined by natural or unnatural causes. Dental evidence can contribute to age estimation in forensic dentistry. Estimating the age of an individual with the help of a tooth for identification proves beneficial. Alternating light and dark bands seen on the cementum have been shown to be proportionate to the age of the patient in number. This was done to evaluate the cementum annulation in age determination.Aims:This study aimed to determine the age of an individual using tooth cementum annulation.Materials and Methods:In this study, twenty extracted teeth were collected and all the clinical details of the patient such as age, sex, and chief complaint were recorded. The collected teeth was preserved in formalin overnight and then washed under tap water before they were sectioned. The area selected for counting was observed under 10 × objective of light microscope, and photomicrographs were taken for the counting of the lines. At the time of analysis, the age of the patient was not disclosed to the observer.Statistical Analysis Used:Student's t-test was used for statistical analysis.Results:This study showed the correlation between the actual age of the individual and the estimated age using tooth cementum annulation method and showed significant statistical value.Conclusion:Incremental lines found in cementum can be used for age estimation in forensic dentistry.

Age estimation in adult human sound and periodontally affected teeth using tooth cementum annulations

BackgroundThere are many tools for identification of human remains, via radio graphical imaging, histological processing & microscopical examination of dental remains. Purposeto estimate the age of both female and male adults using tooth cementum annulations (TCA) method, evaluate the accuracy of TCA of both sound and periodontally affected teeth, and compare the estimated age (Est.age) with the chronological age (Chr.age) of an individual by the aid of; light microscope (LM), polarized microscope (PM) and phase contrast microscope (PHM). Material and methods60 teeth divided into four equal experimental groups; group I contained sound teeth extracted from female patients, group II contained sound teeth extracted from male patients, group III contained periodontally affected teeth extracted from female patients and group IV contained periodontally affected teeth extracted from male patients. Longitudinal ground section for all groups were prepared & observed under LM, PM and PHM. Afterward, images were taken for each section then the average of TCA for each section was counted. The age was estimated using the formula {Estimated age = Numbers of incremental lines + Eruption age of tooth}. ResultsThere was no significant difference between Est.age and Chr.age of both male and female sound teeth (group I and group II) while in periodontally affected teeth of both male and female (group III and group IV) there was significant difference. Also, there was a strong correlation between the Est. & Chr. age when PHM was used followed by LM then PM. Finally, there was no sex difference. ConclusionTCA is reliable for sound but not for periodontally affected teeth using either LM, PM or PHM. Moreover, PHM is a more accurate microscope for TCA in contrast to LM & PM. Interestingly, a novel regression formula was developed to enable estimating age in periodontally affected teeth by TCA method.

Cementochronology and sex: A reappraisal of sex-associated differences in survival in past French societies

The objective of the present study is to test our general knowledge of sex-specific survival differences in past northern France societies by implementing the tooth cementum annulations method of age estimation (i.e., cementochronology) to bio-archaeological series. 1255 individual estimated ages at death covering a millennium from the 3rd c. AD to the 15th c. AD matched different patterns of sex mortality from the late Antiquity to the Late Middle Age. Female survival curves are consistently inferior to those of their male counterparts. Maternal mortality is clearly visible in survival curves between 20 and 50 years of age in individual sites and pooled samples. Variations of sex mortalities also affected sites with peculiar recruitment, such as religious communities, pathological samples, leprosaria, and migrants. Whisker plots of median ages at death variations confirmed in both sex that populations within the Early Middle Ages were better off compared to Late Antiquity and Late Medieval Ages when group inequalities prevailed. Due to its sensitivity and applicability to small samples, cementochronology should be extended to other series.

Walking the Age Trail on Cemental Lines-A Bright Light and Polarising Microscopic Study

Estimation of age using teeth is a proven and useful tool given an important consideration in the anthropology as well as forensic science. Among the various hard tissues, cementum is the most useful substance to evaluate the age of adult teeth. Thus this study was aimed to evaluate the efficacy of tooth cementum annulations method using cross sections of the teeth under bright light and polarised light microscopy and compare the age estimated using the tooth centum annulations method to the actual age of the individual. Material and method: Twenty freshly extracted permanent maxillary and mandibular teeth were collected from department of oral and maxillofacial surgery including the age of the patient, date of extraction of the tooth, sex, type and place of the tooth in the dentition. Then the ground sections were prepared and microscopic analysis was done. Results: The average difference in the estimated age and the actual age in cross sections of the teeth is 2-2.5 years and in transverse sections of the teeth is 3.5-4 years. A deviation of 5 or more than 5 years was observed in a cross-sectional case and three transverse-sectional cases. Conclusion: In our study, we substantiate that age analysis can be performed by both bright field and polarising microscopy which provides similar accuracy. The choice of the method should be driven by the feasibility and ease to conduct them rather than the accuracy needed by these methods.

Ageing in the Danube gorges population (9500-5500 BC): Tooth cementum annulation method

Tooth cementum annulation, the microscopic method for the determination of an individual?s age, gives results that are highly correlated with the chronological age of an individual. Nevertheless, this method is still rarely used for age estimation in archaeological populations. In this study, using the tooth cementum annulation method, teeth of 21 individuals of the Djerdap anthropological series, dated to a period from the 10th to the 6th millennium BC, were analysed. The obtained data are important for overcoming some methodological issues in anthropology of the Danube Gorges, as well as with the precise age estimation of old individuals and with the assessment of age in cases where the skeletal material has been very poorly preserved. The only obstacle to the full application of the tooth cementum annulation method is the taphonomy changes of tooth cementum which were detected on several teeth in this study.

Technical note: Applicability of tooth cementum annulation to an archaeological population

The use of tooth cementum annulations for age determination has been deemed promising, exhibiting high correlations with chronological age. Despite its apparent potential, to date, the tooth cementum annulations method has been used rarely for estimating ages in archaeological populations. Here we examine the readability of cementum annulations and the consistency of age estimates using a sample of 116 adults from the Iron Gates Gorge Mesolithic/Neolithic series. Our examination of the method pointed to several sources of error that call into question the use of this method for estimating the chronological ages of archaeologically derived dental samples. The poor performance of the method in our analysis might be explained by taphonomic influences, including the effect of chemical and biological agents on dental microstructures.

Estimation of age based on tooth cementum annulations using three different microscopic methods

Background: The hard tissues of human dentition are able to resist decay and degradation long after other tissues are lost. This resistance to decay has made teeth useful for calculation of age at death of an individual. Recent research indicates that tooth cementum annulations (TCA) may be used more reliably than other morphological or histological traits of the adult skeleton for estimation of age. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the correlation between age and the number of incremental lines in human dental cementum and to ascertain which, among three different forms of microscopy (light, polarized, phase-contrast) was the most reliable method of studying cementum. Materials and Methods: The study sample consisted of 40 teeth that had been extracted from patients ranging in age from 20−70 years. Longitudinal ground sections of each tooth were prepared and examined under light microscopy, polarized microscopy, and phase-contrast microscopy. The images were magnified on a computer and the cemental lines were counted with the help of Image Analysis Pro 6.0 software. Only the dark lines were counted. Results: There was a strong positive correlation between the estimated age and calculated age when phase-contrast microscopy was used; the correlation was less for light and polarized microscopy. Our results suggest that there is no significant influence of sex, age, periodontal disease, or tooth type on age estimation by the TCA method. This suggests that the accuracy and repeatability of the method is not dependent on tooth type or location and that this method can be applied to the general population regardless of systemic or periodontal health. Conclusion: With this study we conclude that among the methods of counting incremental lines by various types of microscopy phase-contrast microscopy improves the accuracy of age estimation and may serve as a valuable aid in forensic identification.