Correlation between dental maturity and body mass index in Korean children

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine relationships between dental maturity and body mass index (BMI) in Korean children. Study Design: 600 Korean children aged between 5 and 10 years for whom panoramic radiographs have been obtained between 2010 and 2017 were selected. Subjects were divided into four weight-status groups: underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obese. Five lower-left permanent teeth were observed and rated. The stage of each tooth was converted into a score using the table suggested by Demirjian, and the sum of these scores was designated as the 'maturity score'. Results: This study found statistically significant differences in dental maturity between the weight groups (analysis of variance, P=0.003), with the maturity score being higher in the obese group than in normal-weight subjects (Tukey's post-hoc test, P=0.004). The linear regression showed a positive association between BMI and the maturity score after adjusting for sex and age (β=0.34, P<0.001). The linear regression coefficient was higher in girls (β=0.61, P<0.001) than in boys (β=0.31, P=0.02). Conclusions: These data suggest that dental maturation is positively associated with BMI in Korean children. Since many treatment decisions are made in relation to dental maturity, these findings may have implications for pediatric dental care.