The jaws of Fijians have a rather distinctive frequency of edge-to-edge bite. I recorded this as 64 per cent, but Howells' series indicates a 38 per cent incidence.
The quality of Fijian teeth as reflected by frequency of caries is excellent. Nearly 80 per cent of the total show no tooth decay. The soundest teeth from this standpoint occur in the interior, the east, and the northwest. The coastal people show the highest incidence of caries, an interesting point since many of this sample come from around Suva and have more access to the Western processed foods.
Tooth crowding is quite uncommon to Fijians, a condition consistent with their generous jaw conformation. Crowding is noted in only 16 per cent of the series, and most of it is slight.
Tooth eruption is complete in nearly all the subjects. A 2 per cent incidence of incomplete eruption is entirely due to the immaturity of some of the young adults. No pathological suppression was noted.
Some wear of the teeth is recorded for more than three-quarters of the series, but lacking age incidence, the data has limited meaning. The Fijian diet is not abrasive the way, for instance, it is for the Indians of our Southwest, where the staple food is ground in stone mills.
Subm. + ++ +++ Total No. % No. % No. % No. %
Fiji I 230 28 511 63 72 9 0 0 813 Interior 45 29 99 65 9 6 0 0 153 East 29 24 74 62 17 14 0 0 120 Coast 58 28 128 61 23 11 0 0 209 N.W. 24 30 51 65 4 5 0 0 79
Absent Subm. + ++ Total No. % No. % No. % No. %
Fiji I 761 94 36 4 15 2 1 0 813 Interior 150 98 3 2 0 0 0 0 153 East 112 93 6 5 2 2 0 0 120 Coast 187 89 13 6 4 4 1 0 209 N.W. 77 97 2 3 0 0 0 0 79
Soldered Attached Free Total No. % No. % No. %
Fiji I 80 10 531 65 202 25 813 Interior 47 31 74 48 32 21 153 East 3 3 85 71 32 27 120 Coast 9 4 141 67 59 28 209 N.W. 5 6 52 66 22 28 79
Subm. + ++ +++ Total No. % No. % No. % No. %
Fiji I 176 22 457 56 178 22 2 0 813 Interior 49 32 66 43 38 25 0 0 153 East 16 13 76 63 27 23 1 1 120 Coast 31 15 123 59 55 26 0 0 209 N.W. 20 25 47 59 12 15 0 0 79
Absent Subm. + ++ Total No. % No. % No. % No. %
Fiji I 2 0 262 32 463 57 86 11 813 Interior 1 1 47 31 90 59 15 10 153 East 0 0 31 26 77 64 12 10 120 Coast 1 0 75 36 114 55 19 9 209 N.W. 0 0 26 33 49 62 4 5 79