Differential Sensitivity in Growth and Development of Dental and Skeletal Tissue to Environmental Quality

Hugo Cardoso

Departamento de Antropologia, Universidade de Coimbra

 

Abstract

Dental and skeletal development provide a measure of physiological age that can be used to predict the optimal timing for treatment in orthodontic, orthopaedic or paediatric clinical practice or to estimate chronological age of child skeletal remains in forensic or archaeological contexts. Because the environmental sensitivity of skeletal and dental development can affect the ability to predict treatment timing and accuracy of age estimations, it is important to understand how these two tissues respond differently to environmental insults, such disease or malnutrition. This paper reviews the literature that supports the general assertion that dental development is less affected by environmental quality than skeletal development. It is concluded that the environmental sensitivity of tooth formation (compared to tooth eruption) has been rarely assessed and that there is a paucity of studies that examine the development of both tissues against socioeconomic and nutritional status or non-genetic disease.

Key-words: dental development; skeletal development; disease; nutrition; socioeconomic status

 

Resumo

Susceptibilidade Diferencial no Crescimento e Desenvolvimento do Tecido Dentário e Ósseo à Qualidade do Ambiente

O desenvolvimento do esqueleto e da dentição fornecem uma medida da idade fisiológica, que pode ser utilizada para prever o momento mais adequado do tratamento em ortodontia, ortopedia e pediatria, assim como para estimar a idade cronológica de restos ósseos de crianças em contextos forenses ou arqueológicos. Dado que a susceptibilidade ambiental do desenvolvimento do esqueleto e da dentição podem influenciar a altura do tratamento clínico, ou a correcção das estimativas da idade, é importante compreender qual a resposta diferencial destes dois tecidos aos insultos do ambiente, como sejam a doença ou a desnutrição. Este artigo, faz a revisão da literatura na base do pressuposto de que o desenvolvimento dentário é menos afectado pela qualidade do ambiente do que o desenvolvimento do esqueleto. Conclui-se que a susceptibilidade ambiental da calcificação dentária (comparativamente à erupção dentária) raramente foi avaliada e que são escassos os estudos que examinam o impacto do estatuto socioeconómico ou nutricional, e de doenças não genéticas sobre o desenvolvimento de ambos os tecidos.

Palavras-chave: desenvolvimento dentário; desenvolvimento ósseo; doença; nutrição; estatuto socioeconómico

 

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Correspondência: Dr. Hugo Cardoso

Departamento de Antropologia

Universidade de Coimbra

Rua do Arco da Traição 3000-056 Coimbra

e-mail: hcardoso@antrop.uc.pt