For the experiments, 16 extracted, caries free human third molars were prepared.
In contrast to the mandible, there are no caries or abscesses on the maxilla.
Affected teeth tend to wear down rapidly leading to dental caries.
Historically, artificial mouth models have been used since the end of the nineteenth century to investigate dental caries in vitro.
The high frequency of caries likely suggests that these individuals were subsisting on a mixed diet.
The same may be said of the relationship between diet and caries/ wear.
Caries is formed by bacteria that are produced in dental plaque.
For example, the amount of dental wear, frequency of caries, and calculus accretion were analyzed together because they are often related.
