Relation of Birth Weight with Time of First Deciduous Tooth

Abstract

The deciduous teeth play a very important role in proper alignment, placing and occlusion of permanent teeth. Calcification of deciduous teeth begins during the fourth month of fetal life, and by the end of sixth month all of the deciduous teeth have begun calcification. Eruption date is variable and timing of eruption "runs in families". Delay of deciduous teeth eruption, especially the first teeth cause nutritional problem for infant and some worries for family. In this study we compare the time of eruption of first deciduous teeth in infant with their birth weight. A total of 148 infant who born at Shariati Hospital in Tehran in 2004- 2005 consecutively entered the study. Other data such as sex, birth weight, gestational age and time of first tooth eruption were collected. The mean birth weight was 3220 ± 420 grams. 5.5% of cases were less than 2500 grams and 19.9% were over 3500 grams. The patients were followed weekly since third month of birth till the time of their first tooth eruption and the data was analyzed. The mean age of eruption of first tooth was 7.68 ± 1.84 months. The results showed a reverse linear relationship between first deciduous tooth eruption and birth weight. So delayed tooth eruption may relate to birth weight.