title: An unusual double supernumerary maxillary mesiodens in a Middle Iron Age skeleton from South Uist, Western Isles, Scotland.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Bilaterally occurring and fully erupted mesiodens occur infrequently in the modern population and have been little documented from past populations. This research presents an unusual case of a double maxillary mesiodens in the permanent dentition occurring in skeletal remains dating to the Middle Iron Age (250-410 AD) from South Uist, Western Isles of Scotland.
  
  
  METHODS
  Osteological analysis of an adult male included the inventory of teeth present/absent and analysis of dental pathologies (caries, calculus, periodontal disease, ante-mortem tooth loss, periapical abscesses), developmental defects and orthodontic anomalies (enamel hypoplastic defects, malposition, rotation, crowding, agenesis and supernumerary teeth).
  
  
  RESULTS
  An unusual expression of double, fully erupted, mesiodens in the anterior permanent maxillary dentition representing supernumerary central incisors exists. The complete eruption had contributed to anterior displacement of one central incisor alveolar socket similar to documented modern clinical cases. Shallow sockets also implied an associated stunted development of the original central maxillary incisor roots. Occlusal enamel wear indicated the mesiodens had been abraded during mastication.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Current clinical data suggest there is a much higher tendency for single mesiodens to exist rather than double and examples often fail to fully erupt into the dentition. This relative rarity may account for the few previous reports of this dental anomaly from past human remains and especially of this date. The fully erupted double example from South Uist contributes to the known evidence for orthodontic anomalies in the past.
authors.affiliation: AOC Archaeology Group, Unit 7 St. Margaret's Business Centre, Moor Mead Road, Twickenham TW1 1JS, England, United Kingdom. Electronic address: Rachel@raives.co.uk.
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ives
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008437:Maxilla / Q000473:pathology*; D010161:Paleodontology; D012606:Scotland; D014096:Tooth, Supernumerary / Q000473:pathology*
keywords: Double mesiodens; Middle Iron Age; Orthodontic anomalies; Scotland