Sex differences of dental pathology in early modern samurai and commoners at Kokura in Japan

Abstract

So-called "Ohaguro", teeth blackening, in the married females was a general custom regardless of class in the early modern period. As a result, Ohaguro was thought to have enhanced the acid resistance of tooth substance and tightened gingiva and prevented tooth morbidity due to periodontal disease. For investigation into the influence of Ohaguro, the skeletal remains of early modern samurai and commoners at Kokura were examined for differences in the dental pathology based on sex. Though females from archeological sites have significantly more carious teeth and antemortem tooth loss (AMTL) than males in the previous studies, the prevalence of caries and AMTL in males was higher than in females among the early modern samurai and commoners in Kokura. The efficacies of Ohaguro may influence the good dental health of females. On the other hand, as females were considered inferior to males under the feudal system in Japan, males, including children, might tend to consume more nutritious foods compared to females. However, those foods are certainly not better with regard to dental health, since those foods are more highly cariogenic. These factors may have caused higher caries and AMTL prevalence among males compared to females in early modern Kokura.

Comparison of Periodontal Bacteria of Edo and Modern Periods Using Novel Diagnostic Approach for Periodontitis With Micro-CT

“…In Japan, there have been a few reports of periodontal disease in the past era ( Fujita, 2012 ; Saso and Kondo, 2019 ). Wooden denture plates, similar to plate dentures at present day, were already present during the Edo era ( Edwin L. Cooper, 2004 ), suggesting that people in the Edo era also experienced tooth loss due to mainly dental caries or periodontal disease ( Oyamada et al, 2017 ). Some studies discussed the diagnosis of periodontal disease in the ancient skeleton ( Clarke et al, 1986 ; Kerr, 1988 ; Kerr, 1991 ; Larsen, 1995 ; Lavigne and Molto, 1995 ).…”

Samurai in Japan: Class System-Related Morphological Differences in Maxillofacial Regions in the Edo Period

“…In addition, the measurement methods only involved the use of calipers or two-dimensional measurements using radiographs or photographs of the specimen. Previous studies have used two-dimensional (2D) radiographic images [ 1 , 6 , 7 ], and to the best of our knowledge, no study has scanned specimens in 3D. Analysis using 2D images can affect the results depending on the angle from which the specimen is taken and how the specimen is positioned.…”

“…Compared to commoners, the samurai class had a lower incidence of caries but more tooth wear, probably owing to brushing [ 4 , 5 , 6 ]. It is also known that the samurai class had a long head, delicate skull and mandible, a high rate of crowding, and a small amount of attrition [ 1 , 7 ].…”

Mussel-Inspired Caries Management Strategy: Constructing a Tribioactive Tooth Surface with Remineralization, Antibiofilm, and Anti-inflammation Activity

“…An ancient oral disease plant therapy that Southeast Asia had was a custom of coating iron and Turkish gall powder solution on the teeth to prevent dental caries . Turkish gall is an insect gall produced by the larvae of Cynips gallae-tinctoriae Oliv, which has been reported to exhibit wound healing, antiviral, larvicidal, astringent, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiulcer, and gastroprotective activities .…”

“…An ancient oral disease plant therapy that Southeast Asia had was a custom of coating iron and Turkish gall powder solution on the teeth to prevent dental caries. 16 Turkish gall is an insect gall produced by the larvae of Cynips gallae-tinctoriae Oliv, 17 which has been reported to exhibit wound healing, antiviral, larvicidal, astringent, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiulcer, and gastroprotective activities. 18 The compounds in the Turkish gall extract (TGE) identified by our group and the liquid chromatography−mass spectrometry (LC−MS) results show that it mainly contains various phenolic compounds, and the polyphenols in Turkish gall represent approximately 61.10% of the total peak area.…”