Evaluation of Dentition and Mandibular Morphology of Egyptian Mummies through Computed Tomography

The aim of this study is to evaluate the dentition of CT scans of Egyptian mummies and analyze changes in mandibular morphology over time. We hypothesize that these Egyptian mummies have a high level of tooth wear, decayed missing teeth (DMT) scores higher than modern day Americans, and there are statistically significant differences in mandibular measurements for Egyptians from ancient to modern time periods. Eight DICOM files from CT Scans of mummy heads were obtained from The Field Museum in Chicago, IL. Using DICOM rendering software, 6 Egyptian mummies were evaluated dentally and mandibles were measured for 4 mummies. Dental evaluation revealed each mummy had a high level of tooth wear and an average DMT score higher than modern day Americans. There was a statistically significant difference found in 6 out of 7 mandibular measurements for Egyptians from ancient to modern time periods.