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Delayed primary tooth eruption in premature infants: relationship to neonatal factors

R M Viscardi1, E Romberg, R G Abrams

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore.

Pediatric Dentistry
|January 1, 1994
PubMed

Insights

Primary tooth eruption in preterm infants is influenced by neonatal factors beyond gestational age. Duration of oral intubation and postnatal nutrition significantly impact tooth eruption timing.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal Health
  • Pediatric Dentistry
  • Developmental Biology

Background:

  • Previous research linked primary tooth eruption (PTE) in preterm infants mainly to gestational age.
  • The influence of other neonatal factors on PTE timing remained understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of neonatal factors, including illness severity and nutrition, on the timing of primary tooth eruption in preterm infants.
  • To identify specific neonatal variables that correlate with delayed or normal primary tooth eruption.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective longitudinal study involving 35 preterm infants, categorized into normal (eruption ≤10 months) and late (eruption >10 months) eruption groups.
  • Data collection included parental pictorial primary tooth eruption records and frequent oral examinations.
  • Analysis focused on correlations between eruption timing and neonatal factors like birthweight, gestational age, feeding attainment, and duration of oral intubation.

Main Results:

  • Primary tooth eruption occurred significantly later in infants with lower birthweight (<1000 g) or earlier gestational age (≤30 weeks).
  • Age at first tooth eruption correlated with the age of achieving full enteral feedings, initiation of oral vitamin supplementation, and average daily weight gain.
  • Five neonatal factors (duration of oral intubation, birthweight, gestational age, age of full enteral feedings, and apnea of prematurity) explained 44% of the variability in eruption age, with oral intubation duration being the most significant factor (77% of the explained variability).

Conclusions:

  • The timing of primary tooth eruption in preterm infants is influenced by the severity of neonatal illness and postnatal nutritional status, in addition to the degree of prematurity.
  • Duration of oral intubation emerged as a critical factor affecting primary tooth eruption timing in this population.
  • These findings highlight the complex interplay of factors affecting early dental development in vulnerable preterm infants.

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