Blankenship-Sefczek Publishes on Childhood Nutrition and Tooth Size and Shape

Erin Blankenship-Sefczek, PhD, assistant professor of oral biology in the School of Dentistry, published research on how childhood malnutrition affects adult tooth size and shape in PLOS One, a peer-reviewed journal of the Public Library of Science. 

The article, "Nutritional supplementation, tooth crown size, and trait expression in individuals from Tezonteopan, Mexico," focused on a group of individuals who participated in a longitudinal study designed to address how nutrition affects all aspects of growth and development. 

Dr. Blankenship-Sefczek and her co-authors focused on the teeth to specifically address how nutritional intake during gestation and early childhood can influence how teeth develop. Results showed that malnourished individuals displayed an increase in frequency and size of molar cusps. These findings suggest that it is important to consider the developmental environment when estimating biological relationships based on teeth alone. Read more.