Effect of early tooth eruption on the development of dental caries in children: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: Evidence on the association between early tooth eruption and a high incidence of dental caries is scarce and mixed. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the relationship between the timing of tooth eruption and development of dental caries in 229 children from six dental clinics in Qassim, Saudi Arabia. Methods: This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study involving 229 children from six dental clinics in Qassim, Saudi Arabia. The study was conducted in fluoridated area. Information regarding a child’s age, sex, relevant medical history, maternal diseases, and medications administered during pregnancy was collected through in-person interviews. The eruption time of the first primary tooth was the main exposure variable, representing the potentioal predicator, whereas the decayed, missing, and filled surface (World Health Organization dmfs index) scores of primary teeth were the outcome variables, as they provided the necessary outcome measurements for assessing dental caries. Caries examinations were conducted by five calibrated dentists, and the dmfs scores were calculated. Analyses were conducted using Spearman correlation, and additional analyses were performed using the Kruskal–Wallis test. Results: Most participants started teething at the age of 6 months (29.7%; mean, 7.81 ± 2.59 months; range, 4–17 months), and no statistically significant correlations were found between the dental caries experience and time of eruption of the first tooth in the oral cavity. Conclusions: These results provide further evidence on the weak association between dental caries and early tooth eruption. However, further prospective, longitudinal, and randomised studies with a large sample are necessary to validate these findings.