Evaluation of Factors Related to the First Deciduous Tooth Eruption Time in Infants Born in Hamadan, Iran

Abstract

Background: Pattern of tooth eruption (TE) may vary in different communities and may be affected by many factors. It also may cause nutritional problems in infants and anxiety in parents. The current study aimed at investigating the relationship between birth weight and other factors contributing to the time of the first TE. Methods: The current study employed the multistage sampling method to select 126 infants admitted to the health centers of Hamadan, Iran. Health records of infants were listed and relevant information was collected using a questionnaire and interviewing the parents. The tooth emergence was considered as TE in the current study. Finally, the recruited infants were examined for the eruption of the first primary tooth. Descriptive, linear, and the curve regression tests were used with SPSS version 16. Results: Despite the significant differences in weight and height between male and female infants, no significant relationship was observed between time of the first primary TE and most of the studied variables. Height, feeding with formula, family income, and mother’s age had inverse effects on TE time. Infants who were fed with synthetic formula milk had earlier TE. Eruption sign and infant height had the most effects on delayed TE. Conclusions: No significant relationship was observed between the eruption time of the first primary tooth and the studied variables. Nevertheless, there was a significant association between the infant’s height and time of the first primary TE.