Inkrementelle Strukturen im Schmelz der Milchzähne

The neonatal line (NNL) is a distinct incremental marking in the dental enamel, especially in deciduous teeth. In the course of tooth development the NNL represents the position of the enamel-forming front at the time of birth in all the teeth already forming hard tissues at this time. If birth is survived for a certain period of time, deposition of new enamel can be detected outside the NNL. The material properties of teeth, the lack of remodeling, and the known chronology of incremental structures in enamel make teeth an important source of information of vital data in retrospective analyses. Counting enamel incremental markings with circadian periodicity in postnatal enamel enables the determination of the duration of the postnatal lifespan. The lack of an NNL indicates death in utero. In this respect an important contribution can be made by structural analyses of teeth to the investigation of decomposed remains of fetuses and young infants.