Childhood Obesity, Genetic Variation, and Dental Age

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Dentistry
• Genetics
• Anthropology

Background:

• Childhood obesity is a growing global health concern.
• Skeletal and dental maturation can be influenced by various factors, including genetics and metabolic status.
• Understanding the relationship between obesity, dental development, and genetic markers is crucial for pediatric health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether overweight and obese children have advanced dental ages.
• To determine if genetic variations influence the dental age advancement in overweight children.

Main Methods:

• Panoramic radiographs and saliva samples were collected from children.
• Dental age was assessed using Demerjian's method, and skeletal maturation was evaluated using Baccetti's method.
• Genotyping of Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF), Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF), and FGF Receptor (FGFR) markers was performed.

Main Results:

• Specific FGF markers (FGF7, FGF10, FGF13) showed a significant association with obesity.
• Overweight and obese children were more likely to have advanced dental ages (P=0.05).
• An excess of heterozygotes for FGF18 rs4073716 was observed in children with advanced dental ages (P=0.04).

Conclusions:

• Overweight and obese children tend to have dental ages exceeding their chronological ages.
• Genetic variations in FGF18 may play a role in the advanced dental development observed in overweight and obese children.