Impact of Socio-demographic and Anthropometric Variables on Eruption Time of Permanent Teeth among Kurds Aged 5-15 Years in Duhok Governorate-Kurdistan Region, Iraq

Many variables affect tooth eruption time. Eruption time and sequence of teeth is important as part of dental treatment planning in paediatric dentistry, orthodontics treatment, and forensic dentistry to estimate age of the child. Aim: The aim was to study the effect of different socio-demographic and anthropometric variables on eruption time of permanent teeth among Kurds aged 5-15 years in Duhok governorate-Kurdistan Region-Iraq. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 1418 randomly selected healthy Kurdish students aged 5-15 years of both genders in Duhok governorate. All were clinically examined for tooth emerging through the oral mucosa. Normally and delayed teeth eruption time was correlated to different variables such as gender, residency, socioeconomic status, Body Mass Index (BMI), parents’ job, smoking habits, education, consanguinity, nutritional details, feeding pattern, birth weight, and pregnancy outcomes. Data were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS, version 22.0). Numerical variables were presented and summarised as means and standard deviations. Categorical variables were presented as frequencies and percentages. Chi-square test was used to test association between categorical variables. A p-value of ≤0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: There were a statistically significant differences with p-value 0.05) among eruption time and socioeconomic status, residence, parent’s (education, job, smoking habit), several nutritional details, pregnancy outcome, birth weight, nursing at first year, and finally the introduction of supplementary food for the child. Conclusion: Normal and delayed Eruption time and factors affecting it will be useful in treatment planning in paediatric and orthodontic dentistry as well as in forensic dentistry.