Teeth of the Renaissance: A paleopathological and historic-medical study on the jaws of the Medici Family

Objectives: Aim of this study is to present the radiological assessment of the dental pathologies in the Medici Family, to supply evidence of their oral diseases and to verify the efficacy of hygiene methods of the time, providing a term of comparison for other cases. Methods: The Medici Project is a paleopathological and historic-medical study started in 2004, which is based on the exhumation and analysis of the skeletal remains of the Medici Family buried in the Medici Chapels of Florence. Twelve our of the 21 exhumed individuals were in a state of preservation which permitted to undergo CT and ortopantomography. Pathologic findings were organized in malformations, diffuse paroclonloparhy, caries, inflammations, and intru-viturn missing teeth. Dental lesion index (DLI), that is the percentage ratio of the number of damaged teeth our of the total number of examined alveoli, was calculated in all subjects, as absolute value (given as percenlage value) as well as age corrected, and compared with DLI of contemporary Aragon family. Results: Results are arranged for single individuals and for groups of age. The study has shown that all the adults had evident problems in their oral cavities, with values of average age-corrected DLL of 39.27 (males), 41.16 (females) and 39.84 (overall). Conclusions: The presented data show that the Medici Family suffered Iron poor dental health, despite the use of mouthwashes and other "hygienic tools", and that their DLI was largely worse than the contemporary Aragon, probably protected by the diet and particularly by fluorine assumed with waters. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.