Dental and oral pathologies at El Mirador Cave (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain)

Abstract

The dental and oral pathologies of the Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age herders from El Mirador cave indicate good general oral health in both populations as deduced from the low prevalence of pathologies such as dental caries, dental calculus, linear enamel hypoplasia, periodontal disease and abscesses. In both groups, older individuals exhibit the highest prevalence and severity of these age-progressive pathologies. The ratio of dental caries and calculus in both populations is associated with a diet based primarily on proteins of animal origin complemented with carbohydrate-rich plant-based foods. The main difference in the typology of dental caries between the groups illustrates a shift in the way carbohydrates were processed. The Early Bronze Age group consumed softer and less fibrous plant items than the individuals from the Chalcolithic group.