ABFRACTION AND TOOTH WEAR IN AN ANCIENT PRE-COLUMBIAN CULTURE.

Aim: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the frequency of occlusal tooth wear and the presence of abfraction in an ancient culture that inhabitated the Atacama Desert in Chile (approx. 500 AD).  Materials and methods:  The examination was performed on adult human skeletal remains of the pre-Columbian archaeological site of San Pedro de Atacama. After visual examination of 148 human remains, analysis was performed in 67 individuals from which the prevalence of occlusal tooth wear and abfraction was recorded. These skeletons had at least one tooth in each sextant, complete head and gnathic remains. The examination was performed by a single examiner with previous clinical training regarding the “Basic Erosive Wear Examination” (BEWE) under adequate light conditions and visibility.  Results:  The results showed that only 1 subject had no signs of tooth wear, that represents 1.5 % (95% CI: -1.5%;4.5%) of the total. A maximum of 32 and a minimum of 7 affected teeth per gnathic remain was observed. The mean of affected teeth was 21.3 (SD 6.4). The BEWE index recorded was 2.7 (95% CI:2.6; 2.8). On the other hand, abfractive lesions were not found in any of the examined human remains. Conclusion:  The prevalence of occlusal wear was high but none of the analyzed teeth presented signs of abfraction-like lesions. These findings suggest doubt respect the association between occlusal stress and the presence of abfraction-like lesions