Dentin a Key to Unlock Vitamin D Deficiency History

by ParentCo. July 18, 2016

Researchers at McMaster University have found a rich new record of vitamin D deficiency, one that resides in the teeth of every person and ...The team of anthropologists has determined that looking into the microscopic structure of teeth opens a window into the lives and challenges of people who lived hundreds of years ago, and whose only record is their skeletal remains. Their paper, published online today in the Journal of Archaeological Science, establishes that when the body is deprived of vitamin D, permanent microscopic abnormalities form in the layers of dentin, ... creating an ongoing record that can later be read like the rings of a tree. ...can yield valuable information about vitamin D deficiency – also known as rickets – which continues to be a serious public health issue, affecting some 1 billion people worldwide. In life, bone material is constantly being remodelled, obscuring details of prior damage. Dentin is not remodelled, and dental enamel – much harder than bone – protects the dentin long after death, making teeth a rich and accurate source of archaeological information. Examining thin sections of the teeth under a microscope and using technology ... the researchers were able to show that anomalies formed in the dentin layers during years when victims failed to get enough Vitamin D to fully mineralize the structures that form dentin and bone. Source: Vitamin D: Hundreds of Years Later, Teeth Tell the Story of What Happened to People Who Didn’t Get Enough Sunshine



ParentCo.

Author



Also in Conversations

grandfather with toddler grandson
How to Help Kids Connect With Older Generations

by Carrie Howe

Kids are often uncomfortable around older people (even grandparents). Here are research-backed tips to help them connect, for the benefit of both parties.

Continue Reading

A child playing with leaves
5 Ways to Get Outside in Autumn and Why Science Says You Should

by ParentCo.

All those hours kids spend climbing trees and following bugs really do soothe their psyches. Fall may require another layer, but it's well worth it.

Continue Reading

mother sends her child to school
How to Combat the Back-to-School Worries

by ParentCo.

Although returning to school is exciting, it also induces anxieties that are sometimes difficult to quell.

Continue Reading