Epidemiological study of some factors related to deciduous tooth eruption.

This community based study evaluates the eruption pattern of the Saudi children (0-24 months), living in the North West region of the country. No child under the age of 6 months in this study had any teeth. The number of teeth acquired correlated strongly with age (r = +0.82, t = 18.7, p < 0.001), and moderately with weight (r = +0.63, t = 9.09, p < 0.001). Age and weight having independent effects on the timing of eruption of deciduous teeth. Before teething began, a threshold weight had to be acquired and female teeth emerged with comparatively lower weights than that of males of the same age. Even though age was highly correlated with the number of teeth erupted, the wide range of normal prevents delay in teething from being a useful index of inadequate growth in this community.