Evaluation of primary tooth eruption in infants considered at risk [Avaliação da erupção dentária decídua em bebês considerados de risco]

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the primary tooth eruption and possible oral pathologies found in infants aged 0 to 3 years considered at risk. Method: A long-term study was performed with 250 children aged 0 to 36 months attending the "Casa da Mãe Taubateana", Taubaté/SP between January 2005 and July 2006. Two calibrated examiners performed the intraoral clinical examination at the dental office of the facility using clinical dental mirror, wooden spatula and gauze. The fallowing variables were examined: gender, weight at birth, pathologies and medications used by the mothers, gestational age, and the possibility of these factors influencing the eruption of primary teeth. The collected data were organized and expressed by means of descriptive statistics. Results: Primary tooth eruption was delayed in pre-term and low-weight children compared to the children born at term. The percentage of eruption of 1st tooth in the 2nd semester of life was higher in males (34.4%). The most frequent anatomic alteration observed in the infants was persistent tectolabial frenum (13.36%) and lip/palate cleft, present in 3% of the infants. Conclusion: The presence of maternal disease and use of medications during pregnancy could not be demonstrated as factors leading to a delay in primary tooth eruption. However, pre-term and consequently low-weight children presented a mild delay in the beginning of tooth eruption when compared to the children born at term.