An improved method for measuring molar wear.

OBJECTIVES

Standard methods of recording occlusal dental wear are problematic in that they either do not allow for individual variation of wear or are not designed to allow for comparisons of wear patterns. In this article, we (a) present a novel method for recording and analyzing molar wear, and (b) evaluate this method in light of existing methods.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Eighty-two lower mandibular first molars from two regions (medieval Denmark, prehistoric Ohio Valley) were used to assess the method for replicability (intra and inter observer error) and accuracy (comparison to established methods of recording wear). Wear scores were recorded using the MolWear Android App (Beta) by both authors, and established methods of Smith and Scott by the first author. Intraobserver and interobserver error and comparison of the three methods were compared using Spearman's correlation coefficients.

RESULTS

The MolWear method presented high intraobserver (r = 0.985, p < 0.01) and interobserver (r = 0.978, p < 0.01) repeatability. Compared to other methods, the method was strongly correlated with Smith (r = 0.962, p < 0.01) and Smith (r = 0.891, p < 0.01).

DISCUSSION

The new MolWear method provides an improved way of measuring occlusal molar wear. This method bridges the gaps between established methods, performing comparatively while capturing more information about the distribution of wear in addition to the extent of wear. This method should be used for research comparing interpopulation or intrapopulation quantity of dental wear. While designed for a bioarchaeological population, this method could extend to any Y5 molar including nonhuman primates and hominins.