Children who were born prematurely are more likely to have smaller teeth and require orthodontics as they develop their permanent teeth than children who were born full-term, according to a new study reported by Medical News Today.
Swedish researchers looked at 80 children who were born before week 33 of pregnancy and found that their first permanent teeth – which usually start to come in between ages eight and ten – were up to ten percent smaller when compared to a control group of children who had been carried to full-term. The more prematurely the child was born, the smaller his or her teeth were measured to be.
"We have examined how their teeth are developing and, among other things, we’ve looked at their bites. We’ve also checked their need for orthodontic adjustments and found that it is greater than in the control group, children born at full term," explained lead researcher Liselotte Paulsson-Björnsson.
The study authors now plan to do further studies to see if these children continue to have small teeth into their teenage years. They also want to examine how the children’s quality of life may be affected by these dental differences.
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