Abstract

DENTONI, María N.; SELDES, Verónica; ARANDA, Claudia M.  and  LUNA, Leandro H.. Pre-Hispanic feeding patterns and their consequences on the masticatory system. Comparative study in samples from Quebrada de Humahuaca and northern coast of Patagonia. Rev. Mus. Antropol. [online]. 2022, vol.15, n.1, pp.00-00. ISSN 1852-060X.  http://dx.doi.org/http://doi.org/10.31048/1852.4826.v15.n1.33902.

Abstract A comparative analysis of the oral health of samples corresponding to hunter-gatherer populations from the north coast of Argentine Patagonia (N=38) and agropastoral populations of the Quebrada de Humahuaca, Jujuy province (N=40), is carried out. Variables such as caries, root remains, dental fractures and sequelae of periapical processes, as well as the intensity of dental wear and the state of the anterior alveolar bone table, were macroscopically recorded to evaluate the incidence of different types of feeding on the masticatory system. The results indicate, in the agropastoral group, a higher percentage of teeth with caries (29.09%), of individuals with caries (48.80%) and of periapical processes (28.18%), probable consequence of a high consumption of carbohydrates in the diet, compared to the hunter-gatherer group, with values of 14.28%, 42.10% and 15.38%, respectively. The last group shows higher prevalences of individuals with dental fractures (31.81%), heavy dental wear (21.04%) and intense deterioration of the alveolar bone table (55.26%), attributable to the consumption of hard and fibrous food. The trends identified indicate clearly different processes of oral health deterioration, mainly associated with divergent feeding patterns.

Keywords : Dental anthropology; Feeding patterns; Hunter-gatherers; Agropastoral societies.

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