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Delayed tooth formation in children exposed to tobacco smoke
J A Kieser1, H T Groeneveld, P da Silva
1Department of Oral Pathology, School of Dentistry, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa.
Insights
Parental smoking, especially exposure to both parents
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Dentistry
- Environmental Health
- Human Growth and Development
Background:
- Prenatal and postnatal environmental factors can significantly impact child development.
- Tobacco smoke exposure is a known risk factor for various adverse health outcomes in children.
- Understanding the specific effects of parental smoking on dental maturation is crucial for public health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between parental tobacco smoke exposure and dental development in children.
- To quantify any potential delays in dental maturation associated with maternal, paternal, or dual parental smoking.
- To identify specific dental structures most affected by environmental tobacco smoke.
Main Methods:
- Panoramic radiographs of 203 Caucasian children aged 7–10 years were analyzed.
- Children were categorized into four groups based on parental smoking exposure: none, mother only, father only, and both parents.
- Dental age, determined by Moorrees' method, was compared to chronological age.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in dental age were observed between genders.
- Children exposed to tobacco smoke from both parents exhibited the most pronounced differences between chronological and dental ages.
- A 35% reduction in dental maturation was noted in the dual-exposure group, with maxillary second premolars being most affected.
Conclusions:
- Exposure to parental tobacco smoke, particularly from both parents, can negatively impact dental maturation in children.
- The findings highlight the importance of smoke-free environments for optimal child development.
- Maxillary second premolars appear to be more susceptible to the effects of tobacco smoke exposure than central incisors.
Abstract:
Panoramic radiographs of 203 Caucasoid children between the ages of seven and ten years were examined for an evaluation of dental development. Four groups were studied: a control group in which neither parent had smoked during the pregnancy concerned, a group exposed to tobacco smoke from the mother only, a group exposed to smoke from the father only, and finally a group exposed to tobacco smoke from both parents. In each case, the dental age (determined according to the method of Moorrees) was contrasted to the chronological age of the subject. Overall results showed that there were no differences in dental ages related to gender. Maximum differences between chronological and dental ages were found in children subjected to cigarette smoke from both parents. Here, a 35% reduction in dental maturation was noted. Most affected teeth were the maxillary second premolars, while the central incisors were the least affected.