_Bite_
Under E-E Subm. over + over Total
No. % No. % No. % No. %
Fiji I 2 0 518 64 274 34 13 2 807
Interior 0 0 94 61 59 39 0 0 153
East 0 0 73 61 45 38 2 2 120
Coast 1 0 130 62 76 36 0 0 207
N.W. 1 1 49 62 23 29 3 4 76
Fiji II 4 3 50 38 77 59 0 0 131
Solomons 1 1 37 45 45 54 0 0 83
_Caries_
Absent Subm.(1-4) + (5-8) ++ (9-16) +++ (17-x) Total
No. % No. % No. % No. % No. %
Fiji I 645 78 80 10 58 7 22 3 8 1 813
Interior 130 84 16 10 3 2 1 1 3 2 153
East 100 83 10 12 4 3 2 1 4 3 120
Coast 153 73 29 14 16 8 8 4 3 1 209
N.W. 62 80 9 11 6 8 1 1 0 0 78
_Crowding_
Absent Subm. + ++ Total
No. % No. % No. % No. %
Fiji I 685 84 115 14 13 2 0 0 813
Interior 134 88 19 12 0 0 0 0 153
East 100 83 17 14 3 3 0 0 120
Coast 180 86 25 12 4 2 0 0 209
N.W. 64 81 14 18 0 0 0 0 78
_Tooth Eruption_
Complete Incomplete Total
No. % No. %
Fiji I 796 98 15 2 811
Interior 153 100 0 0 153
East 119 99 1 1 120
Coast 199 95 8 4 207
N.W. 74 94 2 3 76
_Wear_
Absent Subm. + ++ Total
No. % No. % No. % No. %
Fiji I 184 23 443 54 144 18 42 5 813
Interior 27 {18} 58 {38} 37 {24} 31 {20} 153
East 26 {22} 69 {57} 24 {20} 1 {1} 120
Coast 60 {29} 120 {57} 28 {13} 1 {1/2} 209
N.W. 12 {15} 47 {60} 17 {22} 2 {3} 78
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.