A case of short-root anomaly in a female from medieval Istria

Abstract

Dental examination of a young female skeleton from medieval Istria revealed very short-roots of both maxillary central incisors. This developmental pathological condition is known in the literature as short-root anomaly, occurring mostly in maxillary incisors. In affected teeth, the crown:root ratio is 1:1.6. Although the prevalence of this condition has been reported in modern populations, this appears to be the first documented case of the anomaly from the medieval period. Unfortunately, fragmentary preservation of the skeletal material prevents us from making a full diagnosis of possible aetiology. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.