Time of Emergence of Permanent Teeth of Children of Quetta, Pakistan and Factors Affecting Them

Abstract

Objectives: To determine the emergence time of permanent teeth of Baluchi children and to detect the effect of gender (male/female), mode of schools (private/public), weight, height, and body mass index on time of emergence.

Methods: Systematic cluster random sampling was used for sample selection. 2 dentists along with 2 assistants visited 25 selected schools for data collection. Children with ‘just erupted tooth’ was selected for data collection. 1267 selected children were examined. The selected children were examined for the status of emergence (not erupted, just erupted and erupted) in each tooth. Height and weight were measured and questions regarding food items usually consume in their family were recorded. Two independent samples ‘t’ test,  Pearson and partial correction were used for comparisons and correlations.

Results:  Male children showed significant higher values of height, weight and BMI as compared to female children. Right 1^st molars (#16 and #46) showed the lowest mean values of 5.5 and 5.6 years in upper and lower jaws, respectively. 2^nd molars (#17 and #37) showed maximum mean values of 12.4 and 12.1 years in upper and lower jaws, respectively. Most of the mean values of male children were higher or equal to the female children. Most of the teeth showed higher values for private schools as compared to public schools. But none of above mentioned differences was statistically significant. 22 teeth showed significant correlation between emergence time and height of the children, while only 17 teeth showed significant correlation with weight.

Conclusion: Many of the results of this study are in agreement with other national studies. However, the difference between the eruption of time of male and female children does not agree with other American, European African children, but do agree with Indian and other Pakistani ethnic groups.