Correlation between permanent tooth eruption pattern and the predominance of the motor function laterality

Area of Science:

• Developmental Pediatrics
• Human Biology
• Neurology

Background:

• Laterality, the preference for using one side of the body, is complex.
• Crossed laterality, where preferences are mixed (e.g., right-handedness with left-footedness), can be associated with developmental variations.
• Early identification of laterality patterns is crucial for understanding developmental trajectories.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential of dental eruption order as an early diagnostic marker for crossed laterality.
• To assess the relationship between dental eruption patterns and other lateral preferences, including hand, foot, eye, and ear laterality.

Main Methods:

• A study involving 131 children aged 6–8 years from a diverse population in Barcelona.
• Examination of dental eruption patterns alongside eye, ear, hand, and foot lateralism.
• Statistical analysis using Statgraphics Plus 5.1 to evaluate collected data.

Main Results:

• Dental eruption laterality and foot laterality were found to be independent variables concerning hand laterality.
• The relationship between dental eruption and hand laterality was stronger than that of foot and hand laterality, indicating clinical significance.
• Crossed laterality between hand and foot was significantly more prevalent in males (13%) than females (1.6%), but sex did not influence the hand-dentition relationship.

Conclusions:

• Dental eruption order serves as a valuable parameter for determining a patient's laterality.
• The findings suggest that monitoring tooth eruption patterns can aid in the early diagnosis of crossed laterality.
• Dental eruption patterns may offer a more clinically relevant indicator for laterality assessment compared to foot laterality.