Signs and Symptoms of Primary Tooth Eruption in Preterm and Low Birth Weight Children

Purpose: To evaluate signs and symptoms associated with the eruption of the primary mandibular central incisors in preterm and low birth weight (PLBW) children. Methods: A prospective longitudinal study was performed with 46 PLBW Brazilian children in a university hospital with a 10-month follow-up. Signs and symptoms of tooth eruption were recorded monthly by clinical examination and caregivers' report. Tooth eruption was categorized into "preeruption" (T0-no erupted crown/month before the eruption), "eruption" (T1-eruption of the tooth up to one-third of the crown/month of eruption), and "posteruption" (T2-from one-third of the erupted crown to completely erupted crown/month after the eruption). Bivariate statistics were performed (P Results: The mean age in T1 was 11 months (±2.50 standard deviation). The symptoms most frequently reported in T1 were increased salivation and finger suction (44.2 percent). The mean number of symptoms in T1 was higher than in T2 (P Conclusion: PLBW children presented signs and symptoms mainly in the initial phase of tooth eruption. Increased salivation and digital suction were the most common symptoms.