Rates of childhood obesity have increased dramatically in the U.S. over the past few decades. In 1980, 7% of children between the ages of 6 to 11 were obese; that rate reached 20% in 2008, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Although a slightly lower rate of 17% existed for those between the ages of 2 and 19 in 2007-2008, according to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), it was as high as 29% for certain racial/ethnic groups.

Now a new study in Obesity is shedding light on the role this trend may play in dental practitioners' treatment choices for younger patients (March 8, 2012).

The cross-sectional analysis, which examined the link between obesity and tooth eruption, found that the teeth of obese children erupt earlier than those of non-obese children, with obese children having on average 1.44 more teeth erupted than the former group (p < 0.0001).

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By Rob Goszkowski, via DrBicuspid.com