Enamel defects in primary and permanent teeth of children born prematurely.

What Was Tested

This randomized controlled trial looks at Vitamin D.

The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of enamel defects in both primary and permanent dentitions of the same preterm children, and to elucidate the role of early dietary mineral and vitamin D intake in the etiology of the enamel defects.

Who Took Part

The study group was 32 children.

The age groups tagged for this paper are infants, young children, children and teenagers.

The status of the primary and permanent teeth was evaluated in 32 preterm children and in 64 control children.

How the Study Was Run

In design terms this was a randomized study.

Random assignment meant chance, not the researchers, decided who got Vitamin D and who got the comparison, which limits bias.

What Was Measured

PubMed files the paper under topics including Analysis of Variance, Calcium, Chi-Square Distribution, Cohort Studies, Dental Enamel, Dental Enamel Hypoplasia and Dietary Supplements.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized study of Vitamin D in 32 children.

With fewer than 40 people, it is a small study, so it is better read as an early signal for further research than as a settled answer.

The publication is from 2000 (Journal of oral pathology & medicine : official publication of the International Association of Oral Pathologists and the American Academy of Oral Pathology), a journal based in Denmark.

More context: the related Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc library page, all human trials.