Dental Diseases in Japanese Skeletal Remains

IV. Muromachi Era

Abstract

For the purpose of studying the reduction of human dentition, an examination of dental diseases in the Muromachi era was undertaken. Materials used were 24 maxillae and 17 mandibles with permanent or mixed dentitions, selected from 127 Japanese skulls from the Muromachi era. As the number of materials available was not sufficient to represent the character of the population of this period, the purpose of this paper might be limited just to present the data obtained.
By comparing these data to those from the later Jomon, Kofun, Kamakura, and modern ages, however, it might still be possible to consider that the specificity of dental diseases in this period was similar to that in the Kamakura era. The discrepancy seemed to be the main pathogenetic factor also in the Muromachi era.