Preterm births are which occur prior to 37 weeks gestation and in developed Western nations it comprise approximately 6 per cent of all live births. Along with having many serious medical problems, it has been hypothesized that the development of oral tissues may get affected in the neonatal period. In preterm children, a high prevalence (around 40-70%) of generalized enamel hypoplasia had been found in previous studies in the primary dentition and it is plausible to be associated with low bone mineral stores. Other than enamel hypoplasia, crown dilacerations, and palatal distortions are other defects that are frequently observed in preterm children which are usually associated with traumatic laryngoscopy and prolonged endotracheal intubation. The incidence of ECC (International Caries Detection and Assessment System: ICDAS ≥ 2) was also found to be high in low birth weight children. The etiology behind this is multifactorial but maternal factors, maternal factors might play the role of contributing factors. The current review would analyse the dental anomalies in preterm children in depth which might have significant implications in monitoring possible anomalies and in treatment intervention can be done at an early stage.
Key words: Premature birth, Very low birth weight, Dental defects, Enamel hypoplasia.