Maturation of primary and permanent teeth in preterm infants

Aims-To elucidate the development of primary and permanent teeth and to int erpret the effect of different calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D supplemen tation in the neonatal period on dental maturation in preterm children. Methods-Preterm infants were randomised to four groups to receive a vitamin D dose of 500 or 1000 IU/day and calcium and phosphorus supplemented or un supplemented breast milk. The maturity of the primary and permanent teeth w as recorded in 30 preterm children. Sixty children aged 2 years and 60 chil dren aged 9-11 years served as controls. Bone mineral content/density was a ssessed in the preterm infants. Results-The median (range) corrected teething age was 7 (2-16) months in pr eterm infants and 6 (2-12) months in controls (p = 0.43). The median (range ) number of erupted teeth at 2 years of age was 16 (11-19) in preterm infan ts and 16 (12-20) in controls (p = 0.16). Maturation of the permanent teeth in the preterm infants was not delayed compared with the controls (mean De mirjian SDS 0.16 v 0.49, p = 0.14). Early dietary intake of either mineral or vitamin D did not affect maturation of the primary dentition in preterm children. Children receiving the higher vitamin D dose in the neonatal peri od had more mature permanent dentition than those receiving the lower dose, but mineral intake did not affect maturation of the permanent teeth. Denta l maturation did not correlate with bone mineral status. Conclusions-This is the first longitudinal study to follow primary and perm anent tooth maturation in the same preterm children. Premature birth has no appreciable late sequelae in tooth maturation.