| The objective here is to provide the dental characterization of the pre-contact Chamorro.
Here, the dental pathology and morphology from casts of the pre-contact Chamorro are analyzed.
Caries, ante-mortem tooth loss (AMTL), and attrition are documented. Morphology was
examined to assess the likely geographic relatedness of the sample and the relationship between
attrition and morphology. These traits were then recorded for absence/presence or degree and
then statistically analyzed.
This study indicated that dental pathology in this sample does not obscure the analysis of
dental morphology. Additionally, it was found that attrition affected the anterior dentition more
than the posterior dentition in the sample. Caries and AMTL were observed to be representative
of a larger population. This may demonstrate how dental anatomy can be impacted by
environmental and cultural factors versus the effects one might see on an individual of different
tooth morphologies.
Key words: dental attrition; caries; AMTL; Chamorro; Guam |