Assessment of the relationship of developmental milestones and pattern of primary teeth eruption among Saudi children –a cross sectional study

Introduction: The time of eruption of deciduous teeth is an important concern for the parents, which shows a significant difference of timing in the population of Saudi Arabia. However, there are only few studies which assess the relationship between the eruption time of primary teeth with other developmental milestones of the children. Our study focus on the correlation between the time of eruption of deciduous maxillary and mandibular central incisors with the time at which the child starts to sit or walk. Materials and Method: This study was conducted on 75 children in Riyadh and Qassim provinces of Saudi Arabia. Written consent was obtained from the parents regarding their willingness to participate in the study. A printed questionnaire was given to each parent and their responses regarding the time of eruption of upper and lower central incisors and the age at which the child starts sitting and walking were recorded during the interview and the correlation between them was assessed statistically. Results: The study revealed that the correlation between the age at which child starts walking and the time of eruption of the mandibular central incisor was (0.443) and for the maxillary central incisors was (0.385). The relationship was less evident between the mandibular central incisors and walking, than in the maxillary central incisors, (0.058). On the other hand, there was no significant relationship between the eruption of the deciduous upper and lower central incisors with the age at which the child stared to sit. Conclusion: There was a positive correlation between delayed eruption of primary teeth and the time the child starts to walk. Parent's awareness of delayed eruption of primary teeth is an important matter that can help for an early pediatric or medical intervention.