384 - Premature Loss Maxillary Primary Incisors and Speech Therapy in Alaska Native Children

Purpose: Early childhood caries (ECC) in the preschool aged child can have detrimental effects, especially if the maxillary primary incisors are affected. Early loss of these incisors due to ECC has been shown to affect speech development in this age group, although with limited studies. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between premature loss of primary maxillary incisors and speech development in Alaska Native children.

Methods: A list generated of children aged 2-5 years old with extractions performed on teeth #D,E,F,G (CDT D7140,D7111) at Southcentral Foundation between 2015-2020. From this list, participants’ medical chart number was used to determine if the child has had diagnosis of speech development problems/speech therapy intervention (ICD-10 F.80.0). Statistical analysis (t-test, chi-square) was used to determine association of history of extraction of these teeth with history of speech therapy intervention.

Results: Of the random sample of 500 charts reviewed, mean age of participants was 3.30 years (SD=1.10). The gender difference was 247 (49%) male and 253 (51%). Participants that had a history of extraction of teeth #D,E,F,G was 73 (15%) compared to no extraction (427, 85%). Of the participants that had history of extraction, only 1 (8%) had diagnosis of speech development problems or speech therapy intervention. There was no association between history of extraction of #D,E,F,G and speech development problems (P=.835).

Conclusions: Alaska Native children with early loss of primary incisors do not have speech development problems.