Number of Teeth Is Related to Craniofacial Morphology in Humans.

ABSTRACT: One of the most common dental anomalies in humans is the congenital absence of teeth, referred to as tooth agenesis. The association of tooth agenesis to craniofacial morphology has been previously investigated but remains unclear. We investigated this association by applying geometric morphometric methods in a large sample of modern humans. In line with previous studies, we report here that a reduced teeth number is linked to a less convex profile, as well as to a shorter face. The effects were similar for males and females; they increased as the severity of the tooth agenesis increased and remained unaltered by the inclusion of third molars and of allometry in the analysis. Furthermore, in cases with tooth agenesis only in the maxilla, there was no detectable effect in mandibular shape,

SUBMITTER: Oeschger ES 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9029740 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature