Teeth of the Renaissance: A paleopathological and historic-medical study on the jaws of the Medici Family

Abstract

a b s t r a c tObjectives: Aim of this study is to present the radiological assessment of the dental pathologies in the Medici Family, to supply evidence of their oral diseases and to verify the efficacy of hygiene methods of the time, providing a term of comparison for other cases. Methods: The Medici Project is a paleopathological and historic-medical study started in 2004, which is based on the exhumation and analysis of the skeletal remains of the Medici Family buried in the Medici Chapels of Florence. Twelve out of the 21 exhumed individuals were in a state of preservation which permitted to undergo CT and ortopantomography. Pathologic findings were organized in malformations, diffuse parodontopathy, caries, inflammations, and intra-vitam missing teeth.Dental lesion index (DLI), that is the percentage ratio of the number of damaged teeth out of the total number of examined alveoli, was calculated in all subjects, as absolute value (given as percentage value) as well as age corrected, and compared with DLI of contemporary Aragon family. Results: Results are arranged for single individuals and for groups of age. The study has shown that all the adults had evident problems in their oral cavities, with values of average age-corrected DLI of 39.27 (males), 41.16 (females) and 39.84 (overall). Conclusions: The presented data show that the Medici Family suffered from poor dental health, despite the use of mouthwashes and other "hygienic tools", and that their DLI was largely worse than the contemporary Aragon, probably protected by the diet and particularly by fluorine assumed with waters.

Syphilis in Maria Salviati (1499–1543), Wife of Giovanni de’ Medici of the Black Bands

“…The poor dental health of Maria is consistent with that of the other members of the Medici family (35). We detected many lytic lesions on the skull.…”