Miscegenation and the prevalence of three‐rooted mandibular first molars in the Baffin Eskimo

A survey was conducted to determine the prevalence of three‐rooted first mandibular molars (3RM1) in 125 schoolchildren, aged 7–9 years, of Eskimo, Eskimo‐Caucasian and Caucasian parentage. The pure Eskimo group had a prevalence of 21.7 % 3RM1 compared with 16.6 % for the half‐Eskimo group. This difference was not statistically significant. No instance of 3RM1 was recorded in the Caucasian children. The significance of the results concerning the pertinence of Eskimo dental characteristics is discussed.