Childhood growth and dental caries.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was to examine whether the removal of carious teeth affected children's growth relative to that of a standard population.


METHODS
Longitudinal prospective observational study.


METHODS
Manchester Dental Hospital (MDH), U.K.


METHODS
Five- and six-year-old children who attended for extraction of carious teeth under general anaesthesia.


METHODS
Change in height, weight and BMI standard deviation scores during the six months after extraction of carious teeth.


METHODS
The children's dental caries levels, weight and height were measured prior to extraction using standard criteria and a single trained examiner and they were then re-measured six months later. The body mass index of the children was calculated and all measurements were converted to standard deviation scores (SDS) using the U.K. 1990 growth reference. Changes in growth SDS during the six months subsequent to the extractions were then calculated.


RESULTS
Two hundred and eighteen children, mean (range) age 5.9 (5-6) were examined initially, of whom 131 were successfully followed up a mean 7.1 (0.13) months later. The participants had a mean dmft of 7.18 (SD 3.27) at baseline and were not shorter than expected (8.3% <10th percentile), or more underweight (6.9% <10th percentile for weight). At follow up children showed a statistically significant gain in BMI SDS (mean (SD) 0.26 (37) p < 0.001) and a small gain in height SDS (0.05 (0.38) p = 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
This study suggests that the extraction of carious teeth in five and six year old children promotes weight gain and possibly growth.
Malek Mohammadi
T
T
Dental Public Health Department, Kerman Dental School, Kerman, Iran, P.O. Box 76175. tmalekmohammadi@yahoo.com
Wright
C M
CM
Kay
E J
EJ
D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009909:Oral Health; D014081:Tooth Extraction / Q000009:adverse effects*