The relationship between tooth eruption and ingestion of 15 food items among children aged 18-20 months

Abstract

Objectives　If children in formative stages ingest foods that are too hard or too soft, they can experience delays in oral cavity functions. Therefore, it is important for young children to receive foods of appropriate hardness in relation to their chewing ability. We investigated the relationship between the ingestion of 15 different food items and tooth eruption among children aged 18-20 months.

Methods　Caregivers from Japanese municipalities who took their children for an 18-month health check-up were given an anonymous questionnaire. Questionnaires were only given to caregivers who provided direct consent and were returned by mail upon completion. The questions inquired about the ingestion of 15 different food items in an attempt to elucidate a correlation between the degree of food hardness that children can chew, tooth eruption, and development of oral functions. A chi-squared test and Fisher's exact test were used to evaluate the relationship between the ingestion of the 15 food items and tooth eruption. The Hokkaido University Human Research Ethics Committee approved this study.

Results　Of the 501 caregivers who received the questionnaire, there were 210 responses (40.9%) and 202 (40.3%) of those were used in the analysis. Thirty children (14.9%) had non-eruption of the premolars. Children without absolute eruption of the premolars ate pork and/or beef steak more frequently than those who had their first four premolars.

Conclusion　Our results suggest that at least 10% of children at the standard tooth eruption age experience delays in oral cavity maturation. This percentage indicates some children consume hard foods inappropriate for premolar development. We propose that caregivers prepare fresh greens and meat of suitable hardness according to the chewing ability of developing children.