EDITORIAL: Dental Anthropology in Chinese

ABSTRACT

The Chinese comprises approximately one-fourth of the World’s population and having craniofacial characteristics different from the Caucasians. A lot of data in this craniofacial region are not yet published. Therefore to set a theme on this issue will have a significant contribution to the anthropological literature and also for medical / dental uses in diagnosis and treatment planning of various disorders of this population. This special issue comprises different aspects of dental anthropology in relation to Chinese. It starts with research reports on various morphological features of the permanent and primary dentitions. Then it includes papers on special features of the dentition including incisor winging and molar cusps morphology. After that it includes papers on the skeletal bases: the Dentofacial morphology in Chinese based on analysis of Lateral Cephalograms and the World’s first database on 3D Cephalometrics on jaw sizes in Chinese based on Cone-beam Computerized Tomography. Then it includes an appraisal about oral diseases in ancient Chinese and precious data about Dental caries in 104 skulls about 2,200 years ago from the site of the Emperor QinShihuang’s mausoleum in China in Xian; and finally an application of one anthropological characteristic, the Bolton Ratio, to clinical use. I sincerely hope that this collection of papers can provide some reference data about dental anthropology and arouse interest about further research in this exciting field.