The lead, cadmium, and zinc contents of deciduous and permanent teeth extracted from Romano-British skulls were measured using atomic absorption spectrometry. Mineral content is reported in mug/g of samples obtained by pulverizing whole teeth prior to chemical preparation and analysis. The overall levels of lead and zinc were higher in deciduous than permanent teeth. Lead levels in conservatively cleaned teeth were twice as high in deciduous compared to permanent teeth but were reduced following abrasive removal of surface enamel especially in deciduous teeth. It was concluded that the higher lead content in deciduous teeth is mainlyin the outer layer of enamel.