Association between sickle cell disease and the oral health condition of children and adolescents

BACKGROUND: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is the most prevalent monogenic hereditary pathology associated with the presence of hemoglobin SS in the world. It can affect individuals, leading to changes in the face and body, causing a deficiency in dental and bone tissue formation that can ultimately result in a higher level of predisposition to developing dental caries. This study aimed to evaluate the oral condition of children and adolescents with SCD in comparison with the condition of healthy controls. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of children and adolescents aged 5 to 18 of both sexes from a hematology center in Bahia, Brazil, and subjects without hemoglobinopathies from a public school of the same state (comparison group). There were 124 individuals, 63 in the comparison group and 61 in the disease group. Interviews, dental and periodontal exams using the DMFT and Periodontal Community Index, respectively, were performed, and the salivary buffer capacity and salivary flow rates of the entire sample population were evaluated. The categorical variables were compared using a chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test. For comparison of means, the Student’s-t test was used for independent samples that presented symmetrical distribution. RESULTS: The study showed that the DMFT was 2.08 (2.71) for the SCD group and 1.05 (1.67) for the comparison group (p = 0.013). For dmft, the values were 2.3 (2.6) and 0.88 (1.2), respectively, (p = 0.018). Exams of the periodontium showed the presence of gingival bleeding and dental calculus, with no statistical significance between groups (p = 0.984). When evaluating salivary flow and buffer capacity, no significant differences were observed for the flow rates (p = 0.485), but the SCD group presented a lower buffer capacity compared with the comparison group (p = 0.006). Individuals who used hydroxyurea had a dmft (2.50) higher than that of the comparison group (2.00), and salivary flow was lower than the normal rate in 70% of the children who did not use this medication. CONCLUSION: Children and teenagers with SCD had deficient oral health when compared with the comparison group, presenting a higher level of dental caries and lower buffer capacity.