Relationship between the presence of demarcated opacities and hypoplasia in permanent teeth and caries in their primary predecessors.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the relationship between the presence of demarcated opacities and hypoplasia on permanent teeth and the caries status of the primary predecessor teeth in a cohort of Chinese children.


METHODS
The study sample consisted of 250 children living in a non-fluoridated area in Southern China whose caries status of primary teeth at the age of 3-6 years had been recorded annually in a previous study. A follow-up examination of their permanent teeth was conducted when they were about 12 years old. The presence of enamel defects was determined by consensus of 2 dentists according to the modified DDE index.


RESULTS
56.8% of the 250 children examined had demarcated opacities, while 10.8% of them had hypoplasia. Demarcated opacities and hypoplasia were found in 5.8 and 1.3% of the teeth examined, respectively. A higher prevalence of demarcated opacities was found in those permanent teeth of which their primary predecessor teeth had caries than in those without (7.5 vs. 3.8%, p < 0.001). A similar finding was obtained for the prevalence of hypoplasia (1.9 vs. 0.4%, p < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
There was an association between caries in primary teeth and the presence of demarcated opacities and hypoplasia in their permanent successors.
Faculty of Dentistry, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. hrdplcm@hkucc.hku.hk
Edward C M
EC
Lo
Cun G
CG
Zheng
Nigel M
NM
King
D000367:Age Factors; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003481:Cuspid / Q000473:pathology; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000150:complications*; D003743:Dental Enamel / Q000002:abnormalities*; D003744:Dental Enamel Hypoplasia / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007180:Incisor / Q000473:pathology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008963:Molar / Q000473:pathology; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous / Q000473:pathology*