Teeth wear during the normal course of mastication. However, specific behaviors can also modify the dentition and cause localized abrasion, erosion, or complete loss of teeth through culturally mediated practices. Here we review the various idiosyncratic behaviors that leave marks on the dentition, discussing both masticatory and extra-masticatory causes. We also review the literature on intentional body modification-filing, notching, drilling, inlaying, and tooth avulsion. We expand our discussion of the latter through an extended case study of tooth avulsion in North Africa, focusing on the spread of the practice during the African Humid period.
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