[The time of eruption of the milk teeth in Down's disease]

In the literature, the time of emergence of milk teeth in patients with Down's disease is reported to be delayed. However, only a few authors can document this observation in controlled studies. This occasioned a fresh analysis of the time and sequence of the milk dentition. In 93 babies and infants with Down's disease, the time of emergence of 842 milk teeth was recorded. In the statistical analysis, mean and standard deviations were calculated: by means of analysis of variance, left-right differences and sex differences were tested. There are the following results: the emergence of milk teeth begins with an average time delay of six months. The first milk molars frequently emerge as the first or second tooth. Sex differences and differences between right and left with regard to the emergence of milk teeth cannot be demonstrated. Overall, the sequence of emergence is very variable. The delayed emergence of milk teeth must be regarded as a component of the general delay in development in Down's disease which in the region of the head affects both the growth of the jaw and the development of the motor activity of the mouth.