Can Baby Teeth Show Early-Life Stress?
The thickness of growth marks in primary (or 'baby') teeth may help identify children at risk for depression and other mental health disorders later in life, according to a ground-breaking investigation.
Possibly, according to early research. A 2021 study found that a growth line formed in baby teeth around birth, called the neonatal line, was wider in children whose mothers had a history of depression or had depression or anxiety late in pregnancy, and narrower when mothers had strong social support after birth. The study was small and needs to be repeated. It isn't a test you can ask a dentist for, and it can't tell you anything about your own child.
What is the neonatal line?
Teeth form in layers, a little like tree rings. Enamel for the baby teeth starts forming before birth, and the stress of birth leaves a visible line in it, called the neonatal line. Anthropologists have long studied growth lines in teeth to learn about illness and poor nutrition in past populations. The researchers wanted to know whether the width of this line also reflects a mother's psychological stress around the time of birth.
What did the study do?
A team at Massachusetts General Hospital, led by psychiatric epidemiologist Erin Dunn, studied 70 baby canine teeth donated by families in the Children of the 90s study (the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children) in Bristol, England. The teeth had fallen out naturally when the children were 5 to 7 years old. The team measured the width of each neonatal line under a microscope.
Mothers had filled in questionnaires during and shortly after pregnancy about stressful life events, their mental health history, their neighborhood and how much social support they had.
What did they find?
Neonatal lines were wider in children whose mothers reported severe depression or other psychiatric problems at some point in their lives.
Lines were also wider when mothers had high levels of depression or anxiety at 32 weeks of pregnancy.
Lines were narrower when mothers reported strong social support shortly after birth.
These links held after accounting for other things known to affect the line, such as length of pregnancy and maternal weight.
What are the study's limits?
Seventy children is a small group, and nearly all were White and from one region of England. The study shows that certain experiences and a wider line tend to occur together. It doesn't show what causes the line to widen, and it didn't measure the children's own mental health. The researchers called for larger studies to confirm the findings before teeth could be considered a possible marker of early stress.
What does this mean for parents?
For now, nothing changes in how baby teeth are cared for, and there's no reason to have a child's teeth examined for growth lines. The more useful takeaway is the role of support. Mothers who had strong social support after birth had children with narrower lines, which fits a broad body of research on how much support matters for parents and babies.
If you're pregnant or a new parent and feel depressed or anxious, tell your doctor. For everyday care of young children's teeth, see our parent's guide to early childhood dental problems. Related research summaries cover childhood stress and early molars and parents' wellbeing and toddler toothbrushing.
Sources
Mountain RV, Zhu Y, Pickett OR, et al. Association of maternal stress and social support during pregnancy with growth marks in children's primary tooth enamel. JAMA Netw Open. 2021;4(11):e2129129. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.29129. Retrieved via PubMed (PMID 34751761).
Massachusetts General Hospital. Baby teeth may one day help identify kids at risk for mental disorders later in life. Press release, November 2021.
About the author. CJ Henley, DMD, is a general dentist in Jacksonville whose practice focuses on cosmetic and restorative dentistry, dental implants and dental care around head and neck cancer. Meet Dr. Henley.
CJ Henley, DMD, PA · 3675 Hendricks Avenue, Jacksonville, FL 32207 · 904-398-1549
Updated October 2026.
How to Prepare Your Child for a Dental Visit
Factors Affecting Children’s Behavior at Dental Clinic
Talk about the visit a day or two ahead in simple, positive words, keep the details light, and avoid scary words, bribes and promises that nothing will hurt. Your calm matters more than anything you say, because children take their cues from you. Dentists who see children often use an approach called tell-show-do, and whether you stay in the room is something you and the dentist decide together for your child.
What should you say before the visit?
Keep it short and matter-of-fact. "The dentist is going to count your teeth and make sure they're healthy" is enough for a young child.
Use neutral words. Skip "shot", "drill", "pull" and "hurt". Let the dental team explain things in their own words, which they choose for children.
Don't promise it won't hurt. If something is uncomfortable, a broken promise makes the next visit harder.
Keep your own bad experiences to yourself. Children pick up on fear quickly.
Avoid bribes. Offering a reward for being brave suggests there's something to be brave about. Praise afterward works better.
How can you make the day go smoothly?
Book a time when your child is usually rested and fed, often the morning for young children.
Read a picture book about going to the dentist, or play dentist at home by counting each other's teeth with a toothbrush.
Bring a favorite toy or comfort item.
Arrive a few minutes early so nobody feels rushed.
Tell the office ahead of time about any medical conditions, sensory sensitivities or past difficult visits.
What is tell-show-do?
Tell-show-do is one of the basic techniques the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry describes for guiding children's behavior. The dentist first tells the child what will happen in words they understand, then shows them, for example by letting them feel the toothbrush on a finger or see the mirror, and only then does it. It takes the surprise out of each step and helps children feel more in control. Praise, a calm voice and simple distraction usually go along with it.
Should you stay in the room?
It depends on the child. AAPD guidance notes that a parent's presence can be very helpful for some children and unhelpful for others, and it leaves the decision to the dentist working with the parent. Many young children do better with a parent nearby. Some older children cooperate more easily when the parent waits outside.
If you stay, the most helpful role is a quiet one. Sit where your child can see you, keep your voice calm, and let the dentist lead the conversation so your child isn't trying to listen to two adults at once.
What if your child is very anxious or needs a lot of treatment?
Most children do well with preparation, patience and tell-show-do. For children who are very young, very anxious or need a lot of treatment, dentists who focus on children have other options. These are discussed with parents in advance, and you should understand and agree to any approach before it's used. A pediatric dentist can explain which options fit your child.
What should you do after the visit?
Praise your child for specific things they did, such as opening wide or sitting still. Keep the tone ordinary, and talk about the next visit as a normal part of looking after their teeth.
Where can parents get help in Jacksonville?
Our office is at 3675 Hendricks Avenue, near San Marco. For guidance on the first visit by age one and early tooth decay, read our parent's guide to early childhood dental problems. To ask whether a visit with us fits your child's age and needs, contact the office at 904-398-1549. You can also find a pediatric dentist through the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.
Sources
American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Behavior guidance for the pediatric dental patient. Reference Manual of Pediatric Dentistry, revised 2024. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
About the author. CJ Henley, DMD, is a general dentist in Jacksonville whose practice focuses on cosmetic and restorative dentistry, dental implants and dental care around head and neck cancer. Meet Dr. Henley.
CJ Henley, DMD, PA · 3675 Hendricks Avenue, Jacksonville, FL 32207 · 904-398-1549
Updated October 2026.