Epidemiologic Survey of Dental Caries Prevalence and Oral Hygiene Status in 3-20-year-old Young Thalassemia Major Children of Lahore, Pakistan

Abstract

Background & Objectives: A Cross-sectional study aimed to assess the prevalence of dental caries and oral hygiene status in Thalassemia Major children age ranging in 3-20-year-old undergoing blood transfusion from the Thalassemia Society of Pakistan. Oral hygiene status and dmft scores were compared. Methods & Materials: A total of 117 children from the Thalassemia Society of Pakistan were checked. Three stations were setup for dental check-up and examiners were calibrated. Examination was performed on children sitting comfortability in chairs using sterilised dental mirrors and probes under natural sunlight on modifies version of World Health Organization (WHO) assessment form. Decayed, missing, and filled teeth using DMFT and dmft indices and Oral Hygiene status was recorded as good, fair, and poor. Results: It was found in our study, 73 males (62.4%) and 44 females (37.6 %). mean dmft score for male was 2.25+ 2.87. Female score was 2.64+ 3.26. Overall mean DMFT score 2.39+ 3.02.A strong association was observed between age and DMFT (p=0.001) between Out of the total sample size, two third majority had fair oral hygiene, while the remainder fell into good and poor hygiene category, respectively. Conclusion: Majority of sample population had fair oral hygiene and young age group were more prone to dental caries. Keywords: Thalassemia Major, Dental Caries, Oral Health

Oral Hygiene Habits and Dental Caries Status in Thalassaemic Patients of Larkana: A Cross Sectional Study

“…The research conducted in Larkana, Sindh, Pakistan, aimed to evaluate the oral hygiene and dental caries status in thalassemia major patients, a condition known to potentially impact oral health (19,20). The findings of this study revealed that thalassemia patients generally exhibit poor oral hygiene, corroborating the results of previous studies by Anwaar A et al (12) and Ebeid et al (21). This trend is likely attributable to the chronic and severe nature of hemoglobinopathies, which may cause patients to prioritize their general health over oral care.…”

“…To determine an appropriate sample size, an online epitool sample size calculator was employed. This tool referenced a previous study by Anwaar A et al (12), using a set of defined parameters: an assumed population standard deviation of 3.2, a confidence level of 0.95, and an acceptable error margin of 0.5. The total sample size was calculated to be 158 participants.…”

“…In Pakistan, thalassemia is one of the most common inherited diseases, affecting an estimated 9.8 million people, with a carrier rate of 5-7% (10). A significant challenge in Pakistan is the lack of widespread pre-marital thalassemia screening and counseling, particularly for individuals considering marriage among cousins (11,12). Furthermore, thalassemia-induced morphological changes in teeth, such as reduced tooth size, particularly in the mesio-distal area, and increased occurrence of pits and fissures, compound the risk of dental caries (13,14).…”