Nutritional Status and Permanent Tooth Eruption in Bulgarian Children Aged 5–12 Years

Abstract

One of the most important factors influencing the process of tooth eruption is the nutritional status. The aim of the present study is to assess the relationship between different categories nutritional status and permanent tooth eruption in Bulgarian children. A total of 709 children (361 boys and 348 girls) aged 5–12 years in good physical and psychological health were included in the study. The oral and dental status was checked directly by intraoral examination. The tooth was registered as erupted when any part of the clinical crown was present inside the oral cavity. The number of erupted teeth (NET) was evaluated for each child. Descriptive statistics, Student's t-test and One-Way ANOVA were applied. Pearson Chi-square test was used to assess the differences in frequency characteristics between BMI categories.

The largest part of the examined children in this study fell into the ‘normal weight’ category, and approximately a quarter of all participants were overweight and obese. The established association between tooth eruption and BMI categories is not statistically significant. The overweight and obese boys and girls have a higher number of erupted teeth. The highest percentage of nonerupted teeth is established in underweight children. The results of the study could be used in public health, such as pediatric and therapeutic dentistry, pediatrics, as well as in medical anthropology and forensic medicine.