Effect of preterm birth on oral growth and development

Abstract

Preterm and low birthweight children comprise approximately 6 per cent of all live births. They are prone to many serious medical problems during the neonatal period which may affect the development of oral tissues. The present paper reviews the results of this author's own decade of research into the oral development of preterm children in the light of current understanding of the field. Studies have shown a high prevalence of generalized enamel hypoplasia in the primary dentition of around 40-70 per cent in preterm children which is likely to be associated with low bone mineral stores. The clinical significance of enamel defects is poor aesthetics, and predisposition of the lesions to dental caries. Other dental defects observed in preterm children are localized enamel hypoplasia, crown dilacerations, and palatal distortions which are usually associated with traumatic laryngoscopy and prolonged endotracheal intubation. Furthermore, recent studies have demonstrated that the rate of dental development, and dental eruption may be affected by preterm birth. Children with the lowest birthweight and shortest gestational ages have the lowest rates of dental development, particularly before six years of age. The results of these clinical studies may have significant implications in the dental management of preterm children.

The neonatal intubation causes defects in primary teeth of premature infants

“…Premature children had, in average, a smaller number of primary teeth among children aged 6 to 24 months when compared with children born at term 12 . The explanation lies in the fact that the maxillary central incisor teeth of premature infants present a reduced percentage of mineralization in the organic matrix at birth 31 .…”

“…However, tracheal intubation can lead to damage such as glottis stenosis and tracheal stenosis 7,8 . Oral lesions occur mainly in the buccal mucosa, the hypoglossal nerve, lingual nerve, fractured teeth, defective development of enamel (DDE), disruption of the dental crown, and dental malformations [9][10][11][12][13][14] . Some precautions are recommended to minimize the effect of the tracheal tube into the oral cavity, such as: a) to define a switch back and forth during intubation, and b) to evaluate continuously the quality of the fixing and stabilization the head of the child in order to decrease the tube displacement preventing accidental extubation 15 .…”

Perinatal factors associated with developmental defects of enamel in primary teeth: a case-control study

“…[7][8]20 Children born prematurely may be affected by serious disorders related to calcium metabolism during the neonatal period, caused not only by prematurity itself, but also by numerous other complications encountered in these children. 25 Maternal factors, such as age at the birth of the child, use of medications, infections and smoking during the prenatal period, have been associated with a higher prevalence of DDE. 26 In the present study, the mother's age at the birth of the child was significantly associated with DDE.…”

Les jumeaux : une réponse à la question de l'influence génétique/environnement sur le développement ?

“…Les enfants prématurés peuvent présenter des hypoplasies amélaires généralisées sur la denture temporaire, ou des défauts amélaires localisés, ou encore une modification de développement dentaire et des phénomènes éruptifs [27].…”