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The association between maternal smoking during pregnancy and dental development in offspring: a systematic review
Harry Tiernan1, Muhammad Masud1, Sawyer Lange1
1The University of Sydney School of Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Aim:
To investigate the effect of maternal smoking during pregnancy (MSDP) on the development of dental conditions in human offspring, as presented in current literature.
Methods:
Observational studies from six databases (MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science and Maternity and Infant Care (MIC)) were systematically searched in July 2024. Articles were screened based on their investigation of the effect of MSDP on the development of dental conditions in offspring. Methodological quality was assessed using the Newcastle Ottawa Scale (NOS), while the quality of evidence was evaluated using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations (GRADE) approach.
Results:
A total of 17 articles were included in this review, focusing on the primary dental developmental outcomes: molar incisor hypomineralisation (MIH), enamel defects (other than MIH), missing teeth, dental eruption, and short root anomaly. Due to high levels of heterogeneity among the studies, meta-analysis was not performed. The majority of studies demonstrated good methodological quality (n = 10), with three assessed as fair and four as poor. The quality of evidence was categorised, with three outcomes receiving a low quality of evidence classification, and tooth eruption and short root anomaly being classed as very low quality. Statistically significant associations between MSDP and each dental outcome had varied results across studies. Most studies concluded an association between MSDP and conditions such as enamel defects (other than MIH), missing teeth, and short root anomaly. Some studies found associations with MIH, while the majority found no link between MSDP and tooth eruption in offspring.
Conclusion:
This review suggests a potential association between MSDP and dental development conditions in offspring. However, due to the low quality of evidence and inconsistencies in findings across observational studies, a definitive association cannot be drawn. Further, novel and high-quality research is needed to understand the impact MSDP on dental development in offspring.
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