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Enamel is the hard, white substance which covers the crown of the tooth, and it is susceptible to various physiological disturbances during its formation. Since enamel cannot be remodeled, physiological disturbances are permanently recorded as abnormal development patterns of enamel. The location of developmental abnormalities on the tooth crowns can provide some indication of the person's age at the time of the physiological disturbance. Enamel development is also affected by common stressors during childhood and infancy. Severe deficiency of nutrients can lead to enamel hypoplasia, or enamel underdevelopment. The relationship of nutritional status during tooth-crown formation to development of linear enamel hypoplasias (LEHs) was assessed in 42 Mexican adolescents who received no nutrient supplements and 42 adolescents supplemented with nutrients since birth. The prevalence of LEHs was almost two-fold greater in non-supplemented adolescents as in adolescents who received nutrient supplements since birth. The frequency of LEHs forming before 1.5 years and after three years was greater among non-supplemented adolescents. LEHs occurred more often in females than males and were associated with an increase in sick days and a decreased rate of growth. These findings suggest that inadequate nutrition during enamel formation contributes to the development of linear enamel hypoplasias. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)