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. 2019 May;169(1):122-131.
doi: 10.1002/ajpa.23819. Epub 2019 Mar 18.

Micro-CT assessment of dental mineralization defects indicative of vitamin D deficiency in two 17th-19th century Dutch communities

Barbara Veselka  1 , Megan B Brickley  2 , Lori D'Ortenzio  2 , Bonnie Kahlon  2 , Menno L P Hoogland  1 , Andrea L Waters-Rist  3
Affiliations

Micro-CT assessment of dental mineralization defects indicative of vitamin D deficiency in two 17th-19th century Dutch communities

Barbara Veselka et al. Am J Phys Anthropol. 2019 May.

Abstract

Objectives: This study investigates vitamin D deficiency patterns in individuals from birth to the beginning of adolescence. Microscopic computed tomography (micro-CT) evaluation of interglobular dentine (IGD) in teeth provides information on the age of disease onset and the number of deficient periods per individual, which will increase our understanding of factors influencing vitamin D deficiency prevalence, including sociocultural practices and latitude.

Materials and methods: Beemster and Hattem, two Dutch 17th-19th century communities, yielded relatively high prevalences of rickets (15-24%) and residual rickets (15-24%). From the affected individuals, a subsample of 20 teeth were selected for micro-CT scanning. Thin sections were made of 17 teeth, consisting of 6 teeth with and 11 teeth without observable IGD on micro-CT that were included for method comparison.

Results: About 19 out of 29 (65.5%) individuals (one tooth was deemed unobservable) presented with IGD on micro-CT. Eight of the 11 (72.7%) individuals without IGD on micro-CT demonstrated histologically visible IGD. In 40.7% (11/27) of the affected individuals (combined micro-CT and histology results), vitamin D deficiency was recurrent, and in four individuals, some episodes occurred at approximately annual intervals suggesting vitamin D deficiency was seasonal. In three individuals, IGD occurred in the dentine formed around birth, suggesting maternal vitamin D deficiency.

Discussion: Micro-CT analysis of IGD is found to be a valuable non-destructive method that can improve our understanding of the influence of sociocultural practices and latitude on disease development within age and sex groups in past communities.

Keywords: Western Europe; interglobular dentine; residual rickets; rickets; seasonality.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Location of Beemster and Hattem in the Netherlands
Figure 2
Figure 2
HT15S067 shows 2 episodes of IGD (a and b), visible in the schematic drawing, the micro‐CT scan in craniocaudal view, and both episodes in transverse view marked by white arrows
Figure 3
Figure 3
Craniocaudal micro‐CT image of the right permanent maxillary canine (RC1) of individual HT15S130 with corresponding transverse image of each IGD episode marked by white arrows, and a thin section image at 40x magnification of the same tooth with each of the IGD episodes shown separately
Figure 4
Figure 4
Craniocaudal image of left maxillary canine of HT15S075 via micro‐CT (LC1). It was not possible to distinguish cracks and diagenetic degradation from bands of IGD. The histological image of the same tooth permits the observation of three IGD bands, marked as a, c, and c at 40× magnification
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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