Oral hygiene aspects in a study of children and young adults with the congenital and childhood forms of myotonic dystrophy type 1

The primary aim was to study the interaction between oral hygiene, oral care, saliva production, and oral motor function in individuals with myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1). A secondary aim was to study how oral hygiene, oral care, and saliva flow rate are affected by gender, age, and subgroup of DM1 in this study population. The study comprised 52 individuals, seven to 29 years of age, divided into two subgroups of DM1, the congenital (N = 24) and childhood‐onset forms (N = 28). A combined dental and oral motor examination was performed and the participants or caregivers answered a questionnaire with questions about general health and disabilities, medication, dental care, and oral health. Sixteen individuals with a plaque‐, gingivitis‐, or calculus‐index score of 5–6 were considered to have poor oral hygiene. There were no significant differences between subgroups (age, gender, or form of DM1) in terms of the occurrence of calculus, gingivitis, plaque, or saliva flow rate. The mean value of the unstimulated whole saliva flow rate was 0.7(±0.44) mL/min. An open mouth at rest and oral motor dysfunction were frequent findings. The majority of Swedish children and young adults with the congenital or childhood form of DM1 have fair or poor oral hygiene, with a high occurrence of plaque and gingivitis. As a group, individuals with DM1 and poor oral hygiene have a higher frequency of caries and they report less satisfaction with their oral care at home and the quality of dental care received compared with those with good oral hygiene.