Abstract

MORON B, Alexis et al. Chronology and sequence of permanent teeth eruption in wayúu students. Idelfonso Vasquez Parish. Maracaibo County, Zulia State. Venezuela.. Acta odontol. venez [online]. 2006, vol.44, n.1, pp.31-37. ISSN 0001-6365.

This study determines the chronology and sequence of permanent teeth eruption, using a cross-sectional in a random sample of 512 children of the wayúu ethnic group, ranging in age from 6 to 17 years old, selected between the students of the schools of the Idelfonso Vasquez parish in Maracaibo County (Zulia State, Venezuela). In order to establish chronological dental eruption, the Mendez procedure was used, this procedure was initially used in the national growth and development study of the Venezuelan Republic. The sequence was established in accordance with the chronological succession of the average age degree of initial clinical emergency. The results show that the age of dental eruption is earlier in wayúu children then in the “criollo”, being this process even more accelerated  in the female gender then in the male, also it was found that just as in the criollo group teeth in the lower maxilla erupt earlier then in the upper maxilla. The eruption sequence in the wayúu children in the upper maxilla was 26-16, 11-21, 12-22, 14-24, 13-23, 15-25, 17-27 and in the lower maxilla 46-36, 31-41, 42-32, 34-44, 33-43, 45-35, 47-37. Finally, this study allows the identification of “beneficial conditions” in the wayúu children such as: low index of premature extractions, low index of prolonged retention of primary teeth and high index of physiological exfoliation.

Keywords : degree of dental eruption; chronology of dental eruption; sequence of dental eruption; health; wayúu.