New York African Burial Ground Skeletal Biology Final Report, Volume 1. Chapter 9. Odontological Indicators of Disease, Diet and Nutrition Inadequacy

The dentition is usually the best-preserved element of the skeleton. Hydroxyapatite, an inorganic calcium matrix, comprises approximately 97 percent of the chemical composition of enamel (Carlson, 1990). This crystalline structure makes dental enamel hard and dense and useful to resist the abrasive nature of mastication. Also, as a result of their hardness, teeth are often all that remains of a long-deceased individual. The abundant presence of dentition in archaeological contexts has led to the intensive exploitation of teeth for information about the past. Chapters 8 and 6 of this report have addressed the systemic effects of nutrition in dental development and of ecosystem relationships that changed dental chemistry, respectively. In addition, the relative presence or absence of pathological conditions, such as tooth loss, caries (cavities from dental decay) and associated abscesses of the alveolar bone surrounding the dental root and cervix also provide evidence of the general level of biological well-being and accessibility of dental care, as well as biological effects of foods commonly eaten.

牙列（dentition）通常是骨骼中保存最完好的组成部分。羟基磷灰石（hydroxyapatite）作为一种无机钙基质，约占牙釉质（enamel）化学组成的97%（Carlson, 1990）。这种晶体结构使牙釉质坚硬致密，能够抵御咀嚼（mastication）带来的磨蚀作用。此外，由于牙齿质地坚硬，它们往往是久逝个体仅存的遗骸。考古遗址中牙列的大量留存，使得研究者得以深入利用牙齿获取有关古代人类的信息。本报告第8章与第6章分别探讨了营养对牙齿发育的系统性影响，以及改变牙齿化学组成的生态系统关联。除此之外，牙齿缺失、龋齿（caries，即蛀牙）以及牙根与牙颈周围牙槽骨（alveolar bone）相关脓肿等病理状况的有无，也可反映个体整体的健康水平、口腔护理的可及性，以及日常饮食所带来的生理影响。