Early dental visit affects dental treatment in Korean preschool children born preterm: a nationwide population-based study

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of early dental visit on subsequent dental treatments in preterm infants and whether there was a significant difference in dental treatment between children born preterm and full-term (FT). National data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service in Korea were analyzed. Prescription codes related to dental treatments were collected. This study included 3,354,662 patients under age 6 years, who were categorized by gestational age: extremely preterm (EPT), very preterm (VPT), and late preterm (LPT). In the preterm group, the percentage of children with no dental visits was 63.87% although the preterm group visited the dentist earlier than the FT group (EPT = 2.84, VPT = 2.78, LPT = 2.52, FT = 3.9 years old). Glass ionomer and 1-visit pulpectomy were significantly higher in the preterm group than in the FT group (p < 0.001). Preschool children who had their first dental visit after age 2 years received any dental treatment earlier than those who visited the dentist before age 1 year (p < 0.001). Early dental visits in infants may delay the timing of dental treatments and reduce their severity, suggesting the importance of early dental screenings for efficient dental management in preterm infants.