A longitudinal study of the relationship between childhood BMI and timing of dental development

Childhood obesity rates in the United States have tripled since the 1970’s. There are many well-documented health consequences associated with childhood obesity, but one of the less well-known concerns is its effect on the development and eruption of the permanent teeth. The purpose of our current study was to examine the relationship between childhood obesity and the development of the permanent dentition. Understanding this relationship is important, as either a delay or acceleration in the development and eruption of the permanent dentition can affect the timing of orthodontic treatment, and may also lead to negative outcomes such as dental crowding and increased risk of dental cavities. To examine this topic, we looked at 77 different subjects, at three separate time points (4, 8 and 12 years of age). We used dental x-rays to evaluate the stage of dental development, and calculated their Body Mass Index using height and weight recorded at each of the time points. We found that children from our sample who were considered to be overweight or obese tended to develop their teeth at younger ages. We also found that children who were overweight or obese at age 4 were more likely to be dentally advanced at age 12. This is relevant for dentists and orthodontists as earlier oral exams should be performed on children in order to potentially intercept any problems caused by early eruption of the permanent teeth.