Interproximal Tooth Grooves in Pacific Basin,East Asian, and New World Populations
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6135958 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Christy G Turner (0009-0004-4344-2869, Arizona State University), Christy G II Turner (Arizona State University), Erin Cacciatore (Phoenix (United States)) |
| Year | 1998 |
| Volume | 106 |
| Issue | Supplement |
| Pages | 85-94 |
| Publication date | 1998-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Anthropological Science (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0918-7960 • E-ISSN: 1348-8570 |
| Publisher | Anthropological Society of Nippon (PUBLISHER • JP) |
| DOI | 10.1537/ase.106.supplement_85 |
| OpenAlex | W2329839662 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 8 |
| References cited | 6 |
Cylindrically-shaped grooves that occur on the interproximal surface at or near the crown root (dentine-enamel) junction in human teeth are characterized by their shape, sharp margins, horizontal parallel striations, and shiny polishing. Ancient examples reported in the literature provide the oldest direct evidence of hominid tool use. Like other workers, we found these grooves in many populations of the Pacific Basin and adjoining continents. Of the various explanations for Interproximal grooves, the most reasonable one is they represent the habitual use of toothpicks. In our pooled sample the frequency per tooth for interproximal grooves is 0.78% (1, 199/154, 167 teeth). The frequency of individuals with one or more interproximal grooves is 3.5%. Oceania has the greatest number of individuals with interproximal grooves (8.9%). Most of these crania originated in Australia. The American Arctic sample has no individuals with interproximal grooves, and prehistoric Arctic teeth lack crown caries. Elsewhere, frequencies of interproximal grooving vary markedly within and between regions suggesting multiple causes. Interproximal grooves are the result of habitual back-and-forth rubbing with a toothpick or some other artifact. In some cases rubbing may have started in an effort to deaden or desensitize a carious or inflammed site. Whatever the original stimulus, groove depth varies with individual age, indicating many years of habitual rubbing
Anterior teeth · Crania · Crown (dentistry · Enamel paint · Groove (engineering · Tooth wear · Bone and Dental Protein Studies · dental development and anomalies · Dentistry · Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies · Materials Science · Medicine · Anatomy · Geology · Orthodontics
Dental Pathologies of the Late Scythians (By the Materials of Chervony Mayak Necropolis)
Root grooves on two adjacent anterior teeth of Australopithecus africanus
Interproximal grooves on the Middle Pleistocene hominin teeth from Yiyuan, Shandong Province
Evidence of toothpick groove formation in Neandertal anterior and posterior teeth
Evidence of habitual behavior from non-alimentary dental wear on deciduous teeth from the Middle and Upper Paleolithic Cantabrian region, Northern Spain
Toothpicking in early Homo OH 62 from Olduvai Gorge (Tanzania)
A Second Drilled Tooth from Prehistoric Western North America
The Oldest Hominid Habit? Experimental Evidence for Toothpicking with Grass Stalks
| Unique citing works | 8 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,35 |
| Citation span | 2003 - 2024 (22) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 8 |