Association of parent-reported timing of first tooth emergence and ECC: a secondary analysis of a case–control study

Purpose: Tooth eruption is a dynamic process. Appearance of any part of the cusp through gingiva may be a clinical marker of eruption. Early childhood caries (ECC) is a public health problem globally. This study aimed to assess the relationship between parent-reported timing of first tooth emergence and ECC in toddlers. Methods: This study is a secondary data analysis of 627 toddlers involved in a case–control study on sleep-time feeding practises in children. The children were categorised into four groups based on the parent-reported timing of first primary tooth emergence (G1—when the first primary tooth emerged before 6 months of age, G2—between 7 and 9 months; G3—10 to 12 months and G4—when the first primary tooth emerged after 12 months of age). Univariate binary logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the association between timing of first tooth emergence and ECC. Results: The mean age of the children was 24.4 ± 7.3 months (cases, that is children with ECC—25.4 ± 6.9 months, controls, that is children without ECC—23.6 ± 7.5 months). Of 60 children, whose first tooth erupted before 6 months of age, 35 (12%) were cases compared to 25(8%) controls. Amongst the cases, boys had more caries than girls (p < 0.05). Of the anterior teeth, 22% of the emerged teeth were decayed in the first group, followed by 19%, 16% and 10% in the second, third and fourth groups, respectively (p < 0.05). Analysis of the posterior teeth showed a lower percentage of decayed teeth with delayed emergence of the first primary tooth (p < 0.05). Children whose teeth emerged before 6 months of age had an odds ratio of 3.5 (95% CI 1.49, 8.42) (p = 0.004). Conclusion: This study concluded that the early emergence of the first primary tooth, as reported by the parent, was associated with an increased risk of developing ECC.