[The status of the dentition in 2 Swiss population groups before the introduction of refined sugar].

Caries and parodontitis have been one of the most spread diseases of mankind. In an archaeological study, 53 graves of Bernese patricians were exhumed. 22 skulls of adults with 392 teeth were examined. They lived between the 16th and the 18th century in the community of Worb BE. In some cases identification could be accomplished by comparison of oil paintings with skulls, using a computerized technique. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of caries, the loss of periodontal bone, the amount of calculus and of abrasion. To compare the dental situation with another population segment sex- and age-matched dates were used. This second population segment lived between the 12th and 18th century and belonged to a lower social class than the patricians from Worb. The comparison of these two groups showed significant differences only in the abrasion pattern. We conclude that the social class did not significantly influence most of the parameters studied here. The different abrasion pattern could be due to different dietary habits.