Effect of nutritional status on dental maturation and mandibular bone density among Indonesian children aged 6–9 Years in Yogyakarta

Introduction: Growth and development in children depend significantly on their nutritional status; therefore, nutritional deficiencies can greatly influence dental and bone maturity. The level of dental maturation can be used to measure dental development. Mandibular bone density (MBD) can directly impact certain invasive procedures, such as extractions and dental trauma management. This study aimed to determine the influence of nutritional status on dental maturation and MBD in children aged 6-9 years. Materials and methods: The study used 108 panoramic radiographs from children in this age and divided them into three groups: low, moderate, and high nutritional status. The nutritional status was determined on the basis of height-for-age (H/A) z-scores using the WHO H/A chart. The dental maturity score was calculated as the total score of the seven mandibular teeth in the left region using the Nolla method. Using fractal analysis, MBD was measured as the average fractal dimension values from three regions of interest (ROI): the condyle, angle, and below the second premolar and first permanent molar of the left mandible. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA for dental maturation levels and the Kruskal-Wallis test for MBD (95 CI). Results: The results showed significant differences in dental maturation levels between the nutritional status groups, with dental maturation in the low-nutrition group being significantly slower than in the other groups. The MBD showed no significant differences between the nutritional status groups. Conclusion: This study concluded that nutritional status influences the level of dental maturation, but not MBD.