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Congenital and acquired defects in enamel of primary teeth: prevalence, severity and risk factors in Brazilian children

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European Archives of Paediatric Dentistry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objective

This cross-sectional study evaluated the prevalence of tooth enamel defects and risk factors associated in primary dentition.

Methods

A sample of 656 schoolchildren (population based), aged 4 years old, from Araraquara-SP (Brazil) was evaluated by two trained examiners according to the following indexes: Dental fluorosis (DF), deciduous molar hypomineralization (DMH), non-fluoride related developmental defects of enamel (DDE), tooth erosion and tooth attrition. Structured questionnaires identified socioeconomic condition, medical/dental history, behavior and dietary habits. Data were analyzed using Chi-square tests (p < 0.05).

Results

Of the enamel congenital defects, DF was the most prevalent (6.1%, n = 40), followed by DMH (5.6%, n = 37). Of the acquired defects, attrition was the most prevalent (36.9%, n = 242), followed by erosion (2.4%, n = 16). The caries experience was similar between the affected children (29,5%; n = 94) and total sample (30.6%; n = 201). The etiological factors related to congenital defects were: not exclusively fed breast milk (p = 0.003) and jaundice at birth (p < 0.001); the association with acquired defects was found with vomiting frequent episodes (p = 0.037).

Conclusion

The general prevalence of enamel defects in primary dentition in Araraquara was 48.6%. Enamel defects may be associated with health-related factors and current lifestyle.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank all the children, parents and school directors for their participation and the Municipal Education Authorities of Araraquara, SP, for all the co-operation related to this study. This study was financed by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior–Brasil (CAPES)–Finance Code 001.

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Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Contributions

FJ and LKYA idealized the study, developed the study, questionnaires, analyzed the data and wrote the article; LKYA, TSC and DGB contributed to the methodology, collected the data and final data analyses. All authors collectively proofread the final version and approved it for publication.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to F. Jeremias.

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The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Araraquara School of Dentistry–UNESP (FOAr-UNESP) (CAAE: 51808515.0.0000.5416).

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Terms of free and informed consent were obtained from the legal guardians of the schoolchildren, as well as terms of consent from all the respective children.

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Almeida, L.K.Y., Carvalho, T.S., Bussaneli, D.G. et al. Congenital and acquired defects in enamel of primary teeth: prevalence, severity and risk factors in Brazilian children. Eur Arch Paediatr Dent 22, 715–723 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40368-021-00612-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40368-021-00612-7

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