Dentoalveolar abscess variation among three groups of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii, Pan troglodytes troglodytes, and Pan paniscus)

The prevalence and pattern of periodontal and periapical dental abscess lesions are examined in 399 wild caught chimpanzee mandibles and maxillae from museum contexts (138 Pan troglodytes troglodytes, 152 Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii and 109 Pan paniscus). This study tests two predictions. First, canine size is the key determining factor in dental abscesses. Second, tooth breakage leads to higher frequencies of abscesses. Abscess frequencies were calculated for adult males (P. t. troglodytes 14.6%, P. t. schweinfurthii 16.3%, P. paniscus 15.4%) and females (P. t. troglodytes 15.7%, P. t. schweinfurthii 6.7%, P. paniscus 10.3%), while attempting to control for dental attrition. No significant differences were found in the occurrence of abscesses among the sexes or species examined. This finding suggests that males and females are subjected to the same risks for dental abscesses, which are likely related to dental attrition rather than breakage.

► Dental abscess patterns are examined in two species of chimpanzee.
► Pan troglodytes and Pan paniscus have similar frequencies of dental abscesses.
► No differences in abscesses were found between males and females in the genus Pan.
► Nearly 1 of every 5 adult chimp had an active dental abscess at the time of death.