Relationship between the order of permanent tooth eruption and the predominance of motor function laterality: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Objectives: To assess whether the order of permanent tooth eruption may be a useful indicator of motor function laterality.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in schoolchildren aged 6-8 years old evaluated in the annual school-based routine dental health examinations conducted by the staff of the primary care centre of an urban district in Barcelona, Spain. We also evaluated hand, foot, eye, and auditory lateralities using a battery of simple exercises. Bivariate and multivariate analysis of data was performed.

Results: The study sample included 388 children, 51.3% female, with a mean age of 6.5 years. Right laterality was the predominant side in every variable under study, especially in tooth eruption (310 children; 80%), handedness (349; 89.9%), and footedness (337; 86.8%). In the bivariate analysis, we found a statistically significant association of tooth eruption laterality with handedness and footedness, and of tooth eruption laterality with ocular and auditory lateralities (p<.001). In the multivariate analysis, tooth eruption laterality and foot laterality were independent variables significantly associated with hand laterality. The diagnostic accuracy of tooth eruption laterality and foot laterality in relation to hand laterality as reference, showed a similar sensitivity and positive and negative predictive values, but the specificity of dentition laterality was higher (79% versus 66%).

Conclusions: Laterality in the order of dental eruption is a useful indicator of right or left motor function laterality in developing individuals that may be particularly helpful to determine the main dominance in cases of crossed laterality.

Keywords: Children; Dentición permanente; Erupción dental; Functional laterality; Infancia; Lateralidad funcional; Permanent dentition; Tooth eruption.