For years, scientists have tried to predict from childhood experiences mental disorders that may affect an adult. Typically, predicting such disorders is done through a direct study of the child’s brain or current psychological status. There is new evidence now, that a child’s teeth can be used for the same purposes. A preliminary study has demonstrated that teeth from children show a record of past childhood trauma, diet, and more. Essentially, the tooth records could be used to accurately identify early life adversity. The same study went on to use those children’s dental records in identifying maternal stresses. In the future, they hope to address adult issues early by analyzing their childhood teeth.
The study’s inception
The study’s origin goes back years, to one of its senior authors trying to predict adult mental disorders from childhood. It is actually quite possible to do so. Present research suggests that childhood events are responsible for up to one third of adult mental disorders. However figuring out the exact nature of childhood trauma is difficult. Asking adults about childhood trauma is not reliable, as memories from early years are often skewed or lost in adulthood. In addition, people may be embarrassed or unwilling to share past psychological trauma. The human body is also resilient, so it’s difficult to find lasting evidence of damage, adversity, or trauma. Scars heal, memories get lost and change over time.
That same senior author, Erin C. Dunn, Sc D, MPH, learned about anthropologists who study ancient peoples’ dental records to learn about their past. It made her realize a connection. She noticed that teeth can reflect an accurate record of the experiences of someone’s life. When a person has poor nutrition or disease, it affects the formation of enamel, leaving a record, much like the rings of a tree. These are pronounced growth lines in the teeth, known as stress lines. These tooth stress lines vary in thickness according to the child’s living conditions as the teeth are forming. Thicker stress lines tell of more adversity, dietary and otherwise, growing up.
How the study was conducted
The team, from the University of Bristol, analyzed 70 children’s teeth. These were collected decades earlier, from a Children of the 90s study. They came from parents who donated the canines of their children’s teeth when they fell out naturally. The ages of the children when the teeth fell out were 5 to 7 years.
Dunn developed a hypothesis:
The width of one stress line, the neonatal line (NNL), serves as an indicator of the stress the mother received during pregnancy. The NNL was an indicator of the mother’s psychological stress as during pregnancy, when teeth are already forming, and after birth.
To test the hypothesis, the researchers asked the mothers about four factors they faced during pregnancy.
- Stressful events in the pre-pregnancy period.
- History of the mother’s psychological problems.
- Neighborhood quality such as poverty, safety. This was known as neighborhood disadvantage.
- Level of social support.
They then compared microscopic records of the stress lines of baby teeth with what the mothers reported. The researchers discovered patterns. They found that the NNL would be thicker if the mothers reported two main issues.
- A lifetime history of severe depression or other psychiatric problems.
- Depression/anxiety at 32 weeks of pregnancy.
The researches found that the following correlated with thinner neonatal lines (stress lines):
- Mothers who had received major social support immediately after pregnancy.
Researchers then controlled for other factors, such as iron supplementation during pregnancy, motherhood obesity, and gestational time of the infant before birth. They discovered that the problems depression and other mental problems still made NNLs thicker.
You can check out the study for yourself here.
The future of the study
What Dunn, hopes for is that this study will be conducted on a larger scale. With a larger scale study, more details can be found that will hopefully lead to better outcomes for all. By that, what she means is that early childhood adversity can be better identified with study of the NNLs and stress lines. Along with better identification of the types of adversity, the time period, and its causes can someday be better known. This will result in better diagnoses and intervention for adults whose dental records are known. The result will be using children’s dental records to make a better future for them as adults.
Family dentistry for you and your loved ones
If you are interested in a family dentistry office who keeps their finger on the pulse of the newest science, then we are here for you. Josey Lane Dentistry has been faithfully serving the Carrollton Texas community for nearly two decades. Our family dentistry service includes routine cleanings and check ups, restorative and surgical dentistry, as well as cosmetic surgery. If you’d like to have your family come to us for your dental needs, we’d be happy to serve and do what we can to make your smile as bright as it can be. Contact us today to find out exactly what we can do for you.
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