Relationship of deciduous teeth emergence with physical growth.

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Tooth eruption, recognized as an aspect of human growth and development, could possibly be influenced by a number of factors. It may reflect the general body development. Aim: The aim of the present research is to investigate the relationship of deciduous teeth emergence with physical growth (weight/height indices). Materials and Methods: A study was conducted among a sample of 1132 Egyptian infants whose ages range from 4 to 36 months. The sample was collected from some randomly selected health centers affiliated to the ministry of health where various socioeconomic strata from different geographic localities were recruited. The children visit there regularly for vaccination at definite ages. Weight and height were evaluated as factors that might have influence on the time of deciduous teeth emergence. Results: The results showed a certain degree of correlation between the number of deciduous teeth emerged and the studied anthropometric measurements which differed by sex and age. Conclusion: All anthropometric parameters showed relationship with the number of teeth at different levels. Although weight showed influence on the number of teeth emerged, it was less significant than height.