Effects of premature loss of abscessed primary molars on premolar eruption

ABSTRACT

This study investigated the effects of early extraction of abscessed primary molars on premolar eruption in 80 children aged from 5 to 8 years. The mean age of patients at the time of extraction of the primary molar was 7.36 years, 57.5% of patients were males and 42.5% were females. The mean time range between loss of the abscessed primary molar and eruption of the premolar was 11.4. The mean exfoliation age of the contralateral control primary molar was 10.58, the same mean was 10.01 for the first primary molar and 11.01 for the second primary molar. The mean eruption age of the contralateral control premolar was 10.78, being 10.30 for the first premolar. At the time of gingival emergence, the prematurely erupted premolars were with limited root development, mobility was beyond the physiologic range. Ectopic eruption was observed in 26.5% of cases, of which 76% have erupted buccally, whereas eruption in the mesiodistal direction was noted in the remaining 24%. 75% of the prematurely erupted premolars were out of sequence. Enamel hypocalcified areas on the crown of the prematurely erupted premolars were observed in 11.3% of cases