Uri Zilberman1, Ianir Milevski2, Dimitry Yegorov3, Patricia Smith4. 1. Head of Pediatric Dental Clinic, Barzilai Medical University Center, Ashkelon, Israel. Electronic address: ori@barzi.health.gov.il. 2. Head of the Prehistoric Branch, Israel Antiquities Authority Jerusalem, Israel; Program "Raíces", Ministry of Science and Technology, Argentina. 3. Israel Antiquities Authority, Southern District, Omer, Israel; Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel. 4. Laboratory of Bioarchaeology and Ancient DNA, Faculties of Medicine and Dental Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine the cause of a large dental lesion, tentatively identified as a case of pre-eruptive intra-coronal resorption (PEIR), in the permanent second mandibular molar of a young individual from an Iron Age cemetery at Tel Erani (Israel), dated to ca. 3000 years B.P. The provisional diagnosis was based on the massive size of the lesion in a young individual in whom the adjacent teeth were caries-free and showed no visible enamel defects. DESIGN: The lower molars of Tel Erani on the affected side were radiographed and compared to radiographs of a modern clinical case of PEIR treated by one of us (U.Z) and the internal structure and mineral content of the lesion examined in detail using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). RESULTS: The Tel Erani specimen closely resembled the modern clinical case of PEIR. Moreover, both cases occurred in young individuals in whom the adjacent teeth were caries-free. Examination with SEM revealed absence of dentine in the affected tooth from Tel Erani, together with changes in structure and mineral content characteristic of resorption. CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows that the changes found in the lower second molar of the 3000 year old mandible from Tel Erani are characteristic of PEIR and demonstrate the antiquity of this condition.
OBJECTIVE: To determine the cause of a large dental lesion, tentatively identified as a case of pre-eruptive intra-coronal resorption (PEIR), in the permanent second mandibular molar of a young individual from an Iron Age cemetery at Tel Erani (Israel), dated to ca. 3000 years B.P. The provisional diagnosis was based on the massive size of the lesion in a young individual in whom the adjacent teeth were caries-free and showed no visible enamel defects. DESIGN: The lower molars of Tel Erani on the affected side were radiographed and compared to radiographs of a modern clinical case of PEIR treated by one of us (U.Z) and the internal structure and mineral content of the lesion examined in detail using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). RESULTS: The Tel Erani specimen closely resembled the modern clinical case of PEIR. Moreover, both cases occurred in young individuals in whom the adjacent teeth were caries-free. Examination with SEM revealed absence of dentine in the affected tooth from Tel Erani, together with changes in structure and mineral content characteristic of resorption. CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows that the changes found in the lower second molar of the 3000 year old mandible from Tel Erani are characteristic of PEIR and demonstrate the antiquity of this condition.