Prevalence of teething symptoms in primary teeth and associated factors: Cross-sectional study in children aged 12-23 months in Pelotas, Brazil

Abstract

Objective: To identify the main teething symptoms reported by mothers and associated factors. Material and Methods: Cross-sectional study conducted with mothers of children aged 12-23 months visiting 12 public health care centers during National Children Vaccination day in Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, in 2011. Mothers were interviewed and information on teething symptoms and socioeconomic (family structure, income, maternal schooling and child skin color) and demographic variables (maternal age and child sex) was collected. Chi-square, Fisher exact test and Poisson regression analyses were performed (P<0.05). Results: A total of 188 mother-child pairs were interviewed. Teething symptoms were reported by 91.93% mothers. Symptoms most frequently reported were excessive salivation (67.7%), irritability (65.2%), fever (44.1%), feeding difficulty (34.2%) and sleep disturbance (31.7%). Teething symptoms were not associated with socioeconomic and demographic variables investigated (p>0.05). Conclusion: Most mothers linked children symptoms with primary teeth eruption. Excessive salivation and irritability were the symptoms most reported by mothers. Socioeconomic and demographic variables were not statistically associated with maternal report of teething symptoms in their children. Dentists should provide adequate orientation to mothers and follow up their children. Dentists should refer to medical care services if symptoms persist, once these symptoms can be attributed to other causes.