RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Maturation of primary and permanent teeth in preterm infants
JF Archives of Disease in Childhood - Fetal and Neonatal Edition
JO Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
SP F104
OP F108
DO 10.1136/fn.83.2.F104
VO 83
IS 2
A1 M C Backström
A1 L Aine
A1 R Mäki
A1 A-L Kuusela
A1 H Sievänen
A1 A-M Koivisto
A1 R-S Ikonen
A1 M Mäki
YR 2000
UL http://fn.bmj.com/content/83/2/F104.abstract
AB AIMS To elucidate the development of primary and permanent teeth and to interpret the effect of different calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D supplementation in the neonatal period on dental maturation in preterm children.METHODS Preterm infants were randomised to four groups to receive a vitamin D dose of 500 or 1000 IU/day and calcium and phosphorus supplemented or unsupplemented breast milk. The maturity of the primary and permanent teeth was recorded in 30 preterm children. Sixty children aged 2 years and 60 children aged 9–11 years served as controls. Bone mineral content/density was assessed in the preterm infants.RESULTS The median (range) corrected teething age was 7 (2–16) months in preterm infants and 6 (2–12) months in controls (p = 0.43). The median (range) number of erupted teeth at 2 years of age was 16 (11–19) in preterm infants and 16 (12–20) in controls (p = 0.16). Maturation of the permanent teeth in the preterm infants was not delayed compared with the controls (mean Demirjian SDS 0.16 v0.49, p = 0.14). Early dietary intake of either mineral or vitamin D did not affect maturation of the primary dentition in preterm children. Children receiving the higher vitamin D dose in the neonatal period had more mature permanent dentition than those receiving the lower dose, but mineral intake did not affect maturation of the permanent teeth. Dental maturation did not correlate with bone mineral status.CONCLUSIONS This is the first longitudinal study to follow primary and permanent tooth maturation in the same preterm children. Premature birth has no appreciable late sequelae in tooth maturation.