Enamel hypoplasia in deciduous teeth

Abstract

Enamel hypoplasia may be the result or environmental, systemic or genetic events that interfere in the development of a normal enamel matrix. The present study describes cases of deficient enamel development in patients of the Research and Dental Treatment Center for Special Patients (FOP - Unicamp). With this purpose a first survey was carried out to select patients with complete teething in the period of August to December, 2003. Considering this period of time it was identified 31 children that presented some kind of enamel deficiency and showed 175 affected teeth. Greater frequencies of enamel deficiency were observed in second molar teeth, followed by first molars, canines, lateral and central incisives. Vestibular and occlusal tooth faces were those more frequently observed in the studied sample. Key words: pediatric dentistry, enamel defects, hypoplasia.