Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 5, 2026

Micro-dissection of Enamel Organ from Mandibular Incisor of Rats Exposed to Environmental Toxicants
Published on: March 29, 2018
Effect of early childhood protein-energy malnutrition on permanent dentition dental caries
Elisandra Reyes-Perez1, Luisa N Borrell, Ralph V Katz
1Department of Restorative Dentistry, Prosthodontics and Primary Care, The Ohio State University College of Dentistry, Columbus, OH, USA.
Objectives:
The objective of this study is to determine the effect of early childhood protein-energy malnutrition (ECPEM) on decayed, missing, filled tooth (DMFT) scores in the permanent dentition of rural Haitian adolescents aged 11-19 years (n = 1,006).
Methods:
We used data from a retrospective cohort that was developed from the Haitian Health Foundation database and merged records on weight-for-age covering the birth through 5-year-old period for all enrolled participants. Dental examinations and interviewer-administered structured questionnaires on demographic and socioeconomic status, and relative sugar consumption were completed in 1,058 participants aged 11-19 years. The ECPEM was defined based on weight-for-age of the subjects during their first 5 years of life that were converted to Z-scores based on the National Center for Health Statistics referent database. Descriptive statistics were calculated. DMFT was regressed on ECPEM adjusting for age, sex, current body mass index Z-score, socioeconomic status, relative sugar consumption, and number of permanent teeth present assuming a Poisson distribution.
Results:
Questionable malnutrition [rate ratio (RR) = 0.72; 95 percent confidence interval (CI), 0.61-0.86] and malnutrition (RR = 0.58; 95 percent CI, 0.49-0.69) were associated with a statistically significant lower DMFT in Haitian adolescents.
Conclusions:
ECPEM status is inversely associated with DMFT in Haitian participants. Further follow-up of these same participants will be recommended to evaluate the potential caries catch-up effect.
Related Concept Videos
Teeth
In the bud stage, the tooth germ (an aggregation of cells) starts to form in the developing jawbone. During the cap stage, the tooth germ differentiates into enamel organ, dental papilla, and dental sac, which will later develop into the tooth's enamel, dentin...
Development of the Oral Microbiota
Overview of Protein Metabolism
Amino acids play various roles in the body once they are absorbed into cells. They are restructured...
Tooth Anatomy
The Crown, Neck, and Root
The visible part of the tooth is referred to as the crown. It's covered by enamel, the hardest substance in the human body. The crown is uniquely shaped for each type of tooth, allowing for different functions such as cutting, tearing, or...
Bone Disorders
Bone deposition is also affected by the levels of sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone that promote osteoblast activity and bone matrix synthesis. When the level of these hormones decreases due to aging, it causes a reduction in bone deposition. As a result, bone resorption by osteoclasts...

