Abstract
Objective: The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that trauma experienced by a baby during birth may cause enamel defects in the permanent incisor and first permanent molar teeth.
Method: Analysis was conducted of data from the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study. Perinatal data were collected from 1037 babies born in Dunedin, New Zealand at the time of birth, from 1 April 1972 to 31 March 1973. Data on injuries and other childhood events were collected at ages 3, 5, 7, and 9. Data on the caries and dental enamel defect status of the deciduous teeth were collected at age 5, while data on the dental enamel defect status of the permanent teeth were collected at age 9. Intraoral photographs showing developmental defects of enamel were also taken at age 15.Result: Birth mode (forceps delivery), head circumference at birth (>360mm), gestational age at birth (>42 weeks), birth weight (>4.0kg), and being a firstborn child (all being indicators of difficult birth) were found to be associated with an increased risk for developmental defects of the enamel of the permanent first molars and permanent incisor teeth (diffuse and demarcated). These findings held after controlling for experience of chickenpox, exposure to fluoridated water, and (in the case of the anterior teeth) injuries or dental caries experienced to the primary dentition.
Conclusion: Health practitioners should make parents aware of the association between perinatal events and the development of the permanent first molars and incisor teeth.