Teething and Tooth Eruption in Infants: A Cohort Study

Department of Pediatric Dentistry
Lutheran Medical Center

Resident’s Name: Craig Elice Date: 3/20/2009
Article title: Teething and Tooth Eruption in Infants: A Cohort Study
Author(s): Wake M, Hesketh K, et al
Journal: Pediatrics 106:6
Volume (number): 1374-1379
Date: December 2000
Major topic: Evaluate commonly reported symptoms of teething
Type of Article: Prospective Research article
Main Purpose: This study evaluated the relationships between tooth eruption, and fever, and teething symptoms such as mood, illness, drooling, sleep disturbances, diarrhea, wet diapers, red cheeks, and rashes.
Materials and Methods: 21 children, 6-24 months of age from 3 day care centers were accepted into the study. Daily temperature recordings and examination evaluating the alveolar ridges for tooth eruption were performed. Daily parent and staff questionnaires and a final parent questionnaire describing beliefs and experiences of teething were also collected. The daily questionnaires asked abut child’s mood, illness, drooling, sleep, stools, wet diapers, and rashes within the last 24 hours which the parent completed upon check-in for the child and the staff completed that afternoon. A dental staff member checked the teeth for eruption and recorded the child’s temperature daily for 7 months. At the end of the study, a questionnaire was given to the parents to describe their experiences and beliefs as it relates to teething. The authors defined an eruption day as the first day that a new tooth is visible. Non-tooth days were defined as 28 days clear of any eruption day, and lastly toothdays were 5 days surrounding the eruption day or 5 days leading up to the eruption day.
Findings: All parents reported prior experience with teething with a mean of 8 of the symptoms. In the sample, there were 236 days classified as toothdays and 895 days classified as non-toothdays. Children were younger on toothdays and on days with fever and for the most symptoms of teethingwith the exception of parent/staff reported diarrhea and parent reported mood and staff reported illness. Evaluation of tooth eruption and fever showed no relationship. Diarrhea was the only relationship associated with tooth eruption. However, during the toothday period of 5-10 days before or surrounding eruption, no relationship was evident.
Key points/Summary : Parents reported looser stools in 5 days leading up to the eruption of a tooth. However, the evidence indicates that tooth eruption is not strongly associated with any of the historical symptoms of teething, and other means must be used to manage these issues.
Assessment of article: Good article. Fairly small sample size.