The Impact of Maternal, Perinatal, and Early Infancy Period on the Eruption Timing of the First Primary Tooth

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this study is to identify and review the literature on effect of perinatal and early infancy factors on the eruption chronology of the first deciduous tooth.
 Materials and methods: A PubMed database literature survey regarding the influence of maternal, perinatal and early infancy period factors on eruption timing of the first primary tooth covering the period from January 1964 to 2020 was conducted.
 Results: Maternal factors such as smoke exposure during pregnancy, gestational age or even Vitamin D levels could possibly affect the eruption timing. Strong association was evident between some perinatal factors like infant’s birth weight or ethnicity and primary teeth eruption chronology, as opposed to infant’s birth length or sex. Many studies indicated that prematurity could lead to delayed eruption timing, while other studies do not confirm that allegation. Additionally, weight gain during early infancy period seems to have a great effect on eruption timing, whereas feeding method’s impact is not clarified yet.
 Conclusion: Eruption timing of the first primary tooth is not influenced by only one specific factor. Several conditions may act together and increase the risk of delayed or accelerated teeth eruption, occurring additively or even synergistically. The association between perinatal and early infancy factors and eruption timing of the first primary tooth needs further controlled studies as well as research in a wider spread of ethnicities.

Path Analysis of the Relationships between the Eruption Time of the First Primary Teeth and Various Factors in Twins

“…It is thought that birth weight may indirectly affect tooth eruption age by affecting tooth development [ 27 ]. Our analysis results showed a negative relationship between birth weight and ETFPT, similar to previous studies [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 17 , 30 ]. Contrary to these studies, Alnemer et al [ 3 ] found no relationship between the birth weight of the infant and the ETFPT.…”

“…There is a positive correlation between late eruption and low birth weight due to the general developmental delay in these children [ 9 ]. This supports the assumption that malnourished children in the prenatal period, when teeth are just beginning to form, suffer from nutritional problems that can negatively impact the development of their primary teeth [ 1 , 9 ]. In terms of chronological age, the eruption time of primary teeth was delayed in preterm children, and this was found to be related to non-breastfeeding and very low birth weight [ 13 ].…”

“…Tooth eruption is the progressive migration of a tooth from the alveolar bone’s developing zone to the location where it will function in the mouth and the occlusal plane [ 1 ]. Tooth emergence into the oral environment is a brief moment in the ongoing dynamic process of tooth eruption, when the tooth pierces through the oral epithelium [ 2 ].…”

“…Tooth emergence into the oral environment is a brief moment in the ongoing dynamic process of tooth eruption, when the tooth pierces through the oral epithelium [ 2 ]. The eruption time of the primary teeth is of great importance for the growth and development of the child [ 1 , 3 ]. The eruption of primary teeth is critical for the appropriate alignment and occlusion of permanent teeth, child health planning, and the identification of various growth abnormalities [ 4 ].…”

Prediction of deciduous teeth eruption in Brazilian children: A cross-sectional study nested in a prospective birth cohort (BRISA)

“…Logan´s human dental eruption chronology table, modified by McCall and Schour [ 7 ], is still accepted worldwide as a standard for a long time, although its findings were obtained, a long time ago, from the dissection of a few children´s cadavers from a specific population (European) and through a methodology that has not been well described. Other researchers have pointed out that the eruption occurred at least two months later in low-income countries [ 8 – 15 ], indicating that the origin, ethnicity, among other individual characteristics, can influence the chronology [ 2 , 3 , 13 – 21 ]. So, these variations should be considered in the development of a new standard for tooth eruption patterns, that cannot be universally applied owing to ethnic variations.…”