[Dental examination of skulls of the early Middle Ages in Bial-Mett].

UNLABELLED: A systematic dental examination was made on 43 skulls from the 6th/7th and 8th/9th centuries which were excavated by the archeological service of the canton of Berne in the church of Biel-Mett. The examination consisted of the following parameters: Count, loss of teeth, caries (instrumental and radiological), calculus deposits, bone loss. The skulls were classified after age and compared with other findings. Generally speaking the results were comparable to findings of other excavations, but they are more detailed owing to more exact methods of examination.

CONCLUSIONS: The examined population had lost about 23% of their teeth, had a relatively high caries incidence (30%) and a high caries morbidity. Most of the individuals had suffered from periodontal disease. High abrasion values point to the abrasive food then consumed.