The association between the diet habit and life style and delayed eruption of permanent second molars in adolescent patients

Aim: The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between delayed eruption of the permanent second molars and dietary habits, body mass index, and lifestyle of the teenagers. Method: A cross-sectional study was performed at a private dental center. 110 teenagers with an age range of 13–16 years old were screened for delayed permanent second molars. The panoramic X-ray was used to localize the unerupted permanent second molar. The body mass index (BMI) of the patients was calculated. A questionnaire was distributed, and the data were collected via Google Forms. Responses were gathered from February 2024 to March 2024. The questionnaire included three main categories: food type and routine, activity and exercise, and medical and dental health. Results: The percentage of the orthodontic population of teenagers at the time of the study was 22%. Among the screened teenagers, only 11% had at least one unerupted second molar. A higher prevalence of unerupted permanent second molars was found in girls than boys (58.3%, 41.6%, respectively). The highest percentage of delayed eruption of permanent second molar was found on both sides of the maxilla (83.3%). In regards to food type, fast food (66.6%) and noodles or pasta (33.3%) were found to be a common meal at dinner. Chocolate (75%) and crisps (58.3%) were the major snacks. Calcium rich food and nuts were found to be either never or not regularly consumed by teenagers, 66.6% and 83.3%, respectively. Regarding body activity and exercise, the majority of the participants were normal weight (58%). Only 16.6% were found to be obese. The majority of the participants slept later than midnight (83.3%). All participants used the cell phone, with some spenting 5–10 hours (41.6%) on these devices. In terms of medical and dental health, all participants were healthy except 25% suffered from asthma and/or anemia. All participants were regularly visit the dental clinic; however, 41.6% of participants were not aware of delay eruption of permanent second molars. Conclusion: The quality of the food may impact the normal time of eruption of the permanent second molars. Female gender and maxillary arch were found to be more likely to have delayed eruptions. Unhealthy lifestyle, such as sitting long hours on electronics, may impact oral health. Additional risk factors should be considered in future research.