DENTAL ANTHROPOLOGY

Università degli Studi
"G. d'Annunzio"

Chieti - Pescara

General Module

Course Sheet

Course code:

IG12A4B

Academic Year of enrolment:

2024

Year of supply:

2024/2025

Type of Course:

Basic

Degree:

Course of 1st Cycle Degree in DENTAL HYGIENE

Disciplinary Sector:

Population Studies, Ethnography and Anthropology

Is part of:

DEMO-ETHNO-ANTHROPOLOGICAL DISCIPLINES

Location:

CHIETI

Credits:

Programme Year:

Professor and Collaborators:

D'ANASTASIO RUGGERO

Cycle:

Second semester

Obligatory attendance:

Yes

Hours of classroom activity:

Individual study hours:

Prerequisites:

No prerequisites

Objectives

The Course of Study (CdS) in Dental Hygiene aims to train professionals
who, with professional autonomy, perform the technical procedures
necessary to perform diagnostic procedures on biological materials,
collaborate in the compilation of the odontostomatological clinical record
and deal with the collection of technical and statistical data.
Taking into account the aims of the CdS, the coursehas the following objectives:
- transmit the knowledge relating to the morphometic variability of the teeth, linked to sex, age and behavioral patterns.
- transmit the knowledge relating to the main investigation methods used in dental and forensic anthropology.
- transmit the skills, which allow to apply autonomously and critically the main investigation methods of dental anthropology useful for reconstructing the biological profile of an individual.

Contents

The course describes the intra- and inter-population morphological and metric variability of the dentition. Furthermore, the course imparts the knowledge and skills necessary for the application of the main forensic investigation techniques, which allow the reconstruction of the biological profile of an individual starting from the teeth.

Extended Syllabus

History and fields of application of dental anthropology.
Macroscopic anatomy of the dental elements. Outlines of dental histology.
Evolutionary history of human dentition from the Paleolithic to the Modern age.
Outlines of Comparative Odontology.
The odontological nomenclature and denomination of the dental elements.
Morphological and metric variability of dentition in human populations and methods for estimating ancestry.
Dental methods of sex estimation in adult, sub-adult and infantile individuals.
Dental methods for estimating age at death in adult, sub-adult and infantile individuals.
Occupational indicators observable on the teeth.
Palaeodietetic reconstruction of individuals and ancient human populations on the basis of dental alterations, morphological and chemical analyzes of tartar, isotopic analyzes of dental tissues.
Reconstruction of the migratory movements of individuals and ancient human populations on the basis of the study of trace elements and stable isotopes in dental tissues.
Dental methods of identification in forensic odontology.
Presentation of case studies.

Recommended Bibliography

Hillson, S. (1996). Dental Anthropology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/CBO9781139170697

Teaching Methods

Lectures and laboratory activities

Evaluation methods

Verification of learning:

The verification of learning will take place through a closed-response test.
The test consists of fifteen questions useful for assessing the
knowledge of the variability of dental characters and odontometric
methods, the technical-scientific skills and the soft skills. The vote is expressed in thirtieths.

Contacts/More Information

Student reception on Monday at 12.00 am at the Operative Unit of
Anthropology. Contacts: tel. 0871.3553518; e-mail: r.danastasio@unich.it

Università degli Studi
"G. d'Annunzio"

Chieti - Pescara

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