Biomaterial Database

Nutritional status, tooth eruption, and dental caries: a review. 1989

J O Alvarez, and J M Navia

Department of Public Health, University of Alabama, Birmingham 35294.

Animal studies have shown that early malnutrition affects tooth structure, delays tooth eruption, and results in increased dental caries. However, epidemiologic evidence in support of these findings has been elusive. Cross-sectional surveys show that populations with a higher prevalence of caries in their deciduous teeth also show a lower prevalence of caries in their permanent teeth. However, longitudinal data from individuals show exactly the opposite. Caries development is also delayed as a consequence of a delayed tooth eruption and thus the bell-shaped curve that results from plotting deciduous caries prevalence vs age is shifted to the right in malnourished children. This effect will result in an apparently negative association between caries in deciduous and permanent teeth when cross-sectional surveys are compared. Once the effect on tooth eruption is taken into account, the contribution of malnutrition to increased caries susceptibility may be observed, as demonstrated by a recent cross-sectional study involving Peruvian children.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D009752	Nutritional Status	State of the body in relation to the consumption and utilization of nutrients.	Nutrition Status,Status, Nutrition,Status, Nutritional
D002648	Child	A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL.	Children
D002675	Child, Preschool	A child between the ages of 2 and 5.	Children, Preschool,Preschool Child,Preschool Children
D003731	Dental Caries	Localized destruction of the tooth surface initiated by decalcification of the enamel followed by enzymatic lysis of organic structures and leading to cavity formation. If left unchecked, the cavity may penetrate the enamel and dentin and reach the pulp.	Caries, Dental,Carious Lesions,Dental Cavities,Dental Cavity,Dental Decay,Dental White Spots,Carious Dentin,Decay, Dental,Dental White Spot,White Spot, Dental,White Spots, Dental,Carious Dentins,Carious Lesion,Cavities, Dental,Cavity, Dental,Dentin, Carious,Dentins, Carious,Lesion, Carious,Lesions, Carious,Spot, Dental White,Spots, Dental White
D003906	Developing Countries	Countries in the process of change with economic growth, that is, an increase in production, per capita consumption, and income. The process of economic growth involves better utilization of natural and human resources, which results in a change in the social, political, and economic structures.	LMICs,Less-Developed Countries,Low Income Countries,Low and Middle Income Countries,Lower-Middle-Income Country,Middle Income Countries,Third-World Countries,Under-Developed Countries,Developing Nations,Least Developed Countries,Less-Developed Nations,Third-World Nations,Under-Developed Nations,Countries, Middle Income,Countries, Third-World,Country, Least Developed,Country, Less-Developed,Country, Low Income,Country, Lower-Middle-Income,Country, Middle Income,Country, Third-World,Country, Under-Developed,Developed Country, Least,Developing Country,Developing Nation,Least Developed Country,Less Developed Countries,Less Developed Nations,Less-Developed Country,Less-Developed Nation,Low Income Country,Lower Middle Income Country,Lower-Middle-Income Countries,Middle Income Country,Nation, Less-Developed,Nation, Third-World,Nation, Under-Developed,Third World Countries,Third World Nations,Third-World Country,Third-World Nation,Under Developed Countries,Under Developed Nations,Under-Developed Country,Under-Developed Nation
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000293	Adolescent	A person 13 to 18 years of age.	Adolescence,Youth,Adolescents,Adolescents, Female,Adolescents, Male,Teenagers,Teens,Adolescent, Female,Adolescent, Male,Female Adolescent,Female Adolescents,Male Adolescent,Male Adolescents,Teen,Teenager,Youths
D014078	Tooth Eruption	The emergence of a tooth from within its follicle in the ALVEOLAR PROCESS of the MAXILLA or MANDIBLE into the ORAL CAVITY. (Boucher's Clinical Dental Terminology, 4th ed)	Teething,Eruption, Tooth,Eruptions, Tooth,Tooth Eruptions