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A controlled study of the morphometric changes in the primary dentition of pre-term, very-low-birthweight children
1School of Dentistry, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. k.seow@mailbox.uq.edu.au
Insights
Premature birth, particularly very-low-birthweight, is linked to smaller primary incisor dimensions. This study found a dose-response effect of birth weight on tooth size in children.
Area of Science:
- Dentistry
- Pediatrics
- Human Anatomy
Background:
- Birth weight is a critical indicator of neonatal health.
- Infant development can be influenced by prenatal and perinatal factors.
- Primary tooth dimensions may reflect early growth patterns.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the mesiodistal and faciolingual dimensions of primary incisors between preterm and full-term children.
- To investigate the relationship between birth weight categories and primary incisor size.
- To identify potential asymmetries in tooth dimensions based on birth weight.
Main Methods:
- A comparative study involving 111 preterm and 169 full-term children.
- Measurement of 572 maxillary and mandibular primary incisors using a digital micrometer.
- Statistical analysis to compare tooth dimensions across different birth weight groups.
Main Results:
- A significant dose-response relationship was observed between birth weight and primary incisor size (p < 0.001).
- Very-low-birthweight children exhibited smaller incisor dimensions (6-11% reduction) compared to normal-birthweight controls.
- Left-sided incisors were significantly smaller than right-sided incisors in preterm children's lateral incisors (p < 0.03).
Conclusions:
- Lower birth weight is associated with reduced primary incisor dimensions.
- Preterm birth, especially very-low-birthweight, impacts early dental development.
- Asymmetries in tooth size may occur in very-low-birthweight infants.
Abstract:
The aim of the present investigation was to compare the dimensions of the primary incisors from pre-term children and full-term controls. One hundred and eleven pre-term children, consisting of 86 very-low-birthweight (< 1,500 g), 25 low-birthweight (from 1,500 to 2,500 g), and 169 full-term, normal-birthweight (> 2,500 g) children, donated a total of 572 maxillary and mandibular primary central and lateral incisors for study. The teeth were measured by means of a digital micrometer. The results showed that there was a dose-response effect of birthweight on tooth size. The very-low-birthweight teeth showed the smallest dimensions, the normal-birthweight controls the largest, and the low-birthweight teeth intermediate dimensions (p < 0.001). In the maxillary primary central and lateral incisors, and the mandibular primary central incisors, very-low-birthweight teeth were from 6 to 11% smaller in both mesiodistal and faciolingual dimensions compared with normal-birthweight teeth (p < 0.001). The largest differences were observed in the maxillary lateral incisors, where mean decreases of 0.58 +/- 0.45 mm in mesiodistal and 0.50 +/- 0.40 mm in faciolingual dimensions (11% reduction in both measurements) were observed. In addition, in the mandibular and maxillary lateral incisors of very-low-birthweight children, the left-sided teeth were significantly smaller than those on the right side in both mesiodistal and faciolingual dimensions (p < 0.03).