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- Title
DENTAL STATUS OF TWO MILITARY SAMPLES: SOLDIERS OF NAPOLEON'S GREAT ARMY AND GERMAN SOLDIERS IN WORLD WAR I.
- Authors
Palubeckaitū-Miliauskienū, Žydrūnė; Jankauskas, Rimantas
- Abstract
It is generally considered that military service in the 19th century army was detrimental to person's health. Dental status is a good test of this supposition, because dental lesions occur in a short time and depend on several factors, including diet, hygiene and the general health of an individual. Two military populations, found during rescue excavations in Lithuania in 2002 and 2006, were taken for analysis. The first sample consists of the soldiers of Napoleon's Great Army, who died during the retreat from Russia in Vilnius in December 1812. The second sample represents German soldiers of the World War 1, who died in a military hospital in Panevežys in 1915-1917. The general dental analysis, including that of dental wear, tooth loss, caries and abscesses, was used to evaluate the oral health status and the possible dietary patterns of recruits. Growth conditions in childhood were studied by scoring of linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH). In total, 293 adult males (6,528 teeth) from Napoleon's Great Army and 77 adult males (1,730 teeth) from the German Army were selected for the analysis; the majority of individuals were less than 35 years at the time of death. Results have revealed a moderate prevalence of caries in both samples. However, a higher prevalence of ante-mortem tooth loss and abscesses among soldiers of the World War 1 indicates a more aggressive rate of decay and, in general, worse oral health in the German Army. It is argued that the differences between populations reflect changes in dietary habits (e.g. the increased consumption of sugar and refined carbohydrates) at the end of the 19th century. An overall prevalence of hypoplasia was low in both samples suggesting a selection of the fittest individuals for military service. A statistically lower number of LEH in the German Army compared to Napoleon's soldiers could be a consequence of the overall decline in morbidity and mortality in Western Europe in the 19th century.
- Subjects
MILITARY service; DENTAL care; MILITARY personnel; DENTAL caries; DIET
- Publication
Papers on Anthropology, 2007, Vol 16, p222
- ISSN
1406-0140
- Publication type
Article