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.

EARS

Ear Helix

Subm.++++++Total
No. %No. %No. %No. %
Fiji I230 28511 6372 90 0813
Interior45 2999 659 60 0153
East29 2474 6217 140 0120
Coast58 28128 6123 110 0209
N.W.24 3051 654 50 079

Darwin's Point

AbsentSubm.+++Total
No. %No. %No. %No. %
Fiji I761 9436 415 21 0813
Interior150 983 20 00 0153
East112 936 52 20 0120
Coast187 8913 64 41 0209
N.W.77 972 30 00 079