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Clinical and histologic appearance in enamel of primary teeth in relation to neonatal blood ionized calcium values
L Ranggård1, J G Norén, N Nelson
1Department of Pedodontics, Faculty of Odontology, University of Göteborg, Sweden.
Insights
Low neonatal blood ionized calcium levels in infants did not correlate with enamel defects in primary teeth examined at age five. This study found no link between early calcium levels and tooth enamel appearance.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Dentistry
- Developmental Biology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Neonatal hypocalcemia, characterized by low blood ionized calcium, can affect various physiological processes.
- Enamel formation is a complex process sensitive to metabolic disturbances during early development.
- Understanding the impact of neonatal calcium levels on dental enamel is crucial for pediatric health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between low postpartum blood ionized calcium levels and the clinical and histological presentation of primary teeth enamel.
- To determine if early-life calcium status influences the development and morphology of dental enamel.
Main Methods:
- Twenty-five healthy children with known neonatal blood ionized calcium values were examined at age five.
- Twenty-four children provided exfoliated primary teeth for histological analysis.
- Clinical dental examinations assessed enamel appearance, and histological examination evaluated enamel morphology and neonatal lines.
Main Results:
- Infants exhibited lower mean blood ionized calcium on postpartum days 1 and 3 compared to day 5.
- Thirteen out of 25 children presented with enamel aberrations, typically affecting a single tooth.
- Histological examination revealed normal overall enamel morphology with predominantly thin neonatal lines.
- No correlation was found between neonatal blood ionized calcium values and observed enamel morphology.
Conclusions:
- Low blood ionized calcium in the early postpartum period is not associated with enamel aberrations in primary teeth.
- Neonatal calcium levels do not appear to influence the histological characteristics of dental enamel, including the neonatal line.
- Further research may explore other potential factors affecting primary tooth enamel development.
Abstract:
The purpose of this investigation was to study the relationship between low values of blood ionized calcium measured in the first days of life postpartum and the clinical and histologic appearance of enamel of primary teeth. Twenty-five healthy children selected on the basis of optimality with known blood values of ionized calcium from the first days of life participated in a dental examination at the age of 5 yr. Twenty-four of the children contributed one exfoliated tooth each, which was histologically examined. The infants had lower mean values of ionized blood calcium on days 1 and 3 than day 5 postpartum. Thirteen of the 25 children had enamel aberrations, mainly on one tooth each. The histologic examination showed normal overall enamel morphology. The neonatal line was present in all teeth, and these lines were mostly thin. The registered findings about the enamel morphology could not, in any case, be correlated with the measured values of neonatal blood ionized calcium.