Cronología y secuencia de erupción en escolares residentes en Bucaramanga y Girón durante el primer periodo transicional: un estudio longitudinal

Abstract

Introduction: Tooth eruption is an important process of the maxillary development. This study aims to determine the sequence and chronology of eruption of permanent teeth (incisors and first molars) in 6 year-old schoolchildren living in the towns of Bucaramanga and Girón. Methods: A longitudinal study was conducted with a sample of 163 schoolchildren (81 boys - 82 girls) at the age of 6 years old. These schoolchildren belong to three educational institutions in Bucaramanga and Girón that have an agreement with the Universidad Santo Tomás Bucaramanga. The data was collected by clinical observation using a dental mirror under proper facilities and lighting conditions. In order to carry out the analysis of information, it was necessary to describe the participants. The description was based on the frequencies and percentages for qualitative variables, measures of central tendency, and the dispersion for quantitative variables. The Chi2 test or the Fisher's exact test were used to make the bivariate analysis as appropriate where the value of p <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Simultaneously the permanent first molar and central incisors were the first to erupt. While for the boys, the lower central incisor erupted first, for the girls, the lower molar did it first. Conclusions: the first molar and the first central incisor erupted at the age of 6 years and 4 months old; the maxillary lateral incisors were the last teeth to erupt at the age of 6 years and 6 months and 6 years and 5 months old respectively. For both genders, the sequence of maxillary eruption was 6-1-2; the same for mandibular eruption sequence of females. While for males, it was 1-6-2.