Dental anomalies in the past: fusion, gemination, and talon cusp in two archeological samples

Background: Disruption in odontogenesis can influence the normal development of both deciduous and permanent dentition resulting in anomalies in morphology, number, and position of teeth. Although dental anomalies are frequently reported in clinical practice, their occurrence in past populations from archeological contexts is rarely acknowledged. Aim: To describe two cases of dental anomalies on two non-adult individuals from Italian archeological sites. Design: Individual sex diagnosis was performed by analyzing amelogenin peptides from the dental enamel through liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Age-at-death estimation was based on stages of dental formation and eruption. Dental twinning and talon cusp were morphologically evaluated and classified following standardized scoring systems proposed by clinical literature. Results: The first individual, a 3-4-year-old female from the Imperial Roman necropolis of Isola Sacra, presents the fusion of the upper right deciduous central incisor with a supplementary tooth; the second individual, a 3-3.5-year-old male from a Late Antiquity catacomb, shows a case of bilateral gemination on the upper permanent central incisors with a co-occurrence of dental gemination and talon cusp on the right one. Conclusions: The cases reported here (the two anomalies in the individuals presented) are useful into understanding these dental conditions within past/archaeological populations.