Eruption of the primary dentition in human infants: a prospective descriptive study
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Published on: August 22, 2022
S A Hulland1, J O Lucas, M A Wake
1Department of Dentistry, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.
Insights
Primary tooth eruption often involves gingival redness but rarely swelling. Some children experience a common "transitional" eruption phase where teeth emerge and retreat before final eruption.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Dentistry
- Oral Biology
Background:
- Understanding the primary dentition eruption process is crucial for pediatric dental care.
- The emergence phase involves complex interactions between teeth and soft tissues.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the clinical process of primary tooth eruption.
- To determine the duration of eruption and associated soft tissue changes.
- To explore the relationship between soft tissue changes and eruption stages.
Main Methods:
- Recruited 21 children aged 6-24 months in Melbourne, Australia.
- Conducted daily oral examinations over a seven-month period.
- Observed 128 primary teeth during their eruption process.
Main Results:
- Gingival redness occurred in 49% of erupting teeth, without a specific stage correlation.
- Mild gingival swelling was infrequent.
- Mean eruption duration was 2.0 months (range 0.9-4.6 months) at an average rate of 0.7 mm/month.
- A common 'transitional' eruption phase, involving emergence and retreat, was observed.
Conclusions:
- Primary tooth eruption is frequently associated with gingival redness, not swelling.
- A 'transitional' eruption phase is common in primary teeth for some children.
Purpose:
This study investigated the clinical process of the emergence phase of eruption of the primary dentition including length of time taken to erupt and the association between soft tissue changes and stages of eruption.
Methods:
Twenty-one children aged 6-24 months at commencement of the study were recruited from three suburban daycare centers in Melbourne, Australia. Daily oral examinations of each child were conducted for seven months.
Results:
One hundred twenty-eight teeth were observed during eruption. Swelling very infrequently accompanied tooth eruption and in all cases was mild. Forty-nine percent of observed teeth demonstrated gingival redness during the emergence stages of eruption, but there was no significant relationship between redness and specific stages of eruption. Mean duration of eruption, from palpable enlargement of the gingival tissue to full eruption, was 2.0 months (range 0.9-4.6 months). The average rate of eruption was 0.7 mm per month. Many of the deciduous teeth appeared to demonstrate an "oscillating" pattern of eruption, (emerging and then retreating before emerging again). Timing of oscillation was not specific to stage of eruption or tooth type. This was defined as a "transitional" phase of eruption which appears to be common.
Conclusion:
The results suggest that eruption of the primary dentition is often accompanied by redness, but not swelling, of the gingival tissues. For some children, there also appears to be a "transitional" eruption phase for primary teeth.
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