Evaluation of oral health and dental caries status among haemophilic children in Trivandrum, South India
Abstract:Aim : The present study was conducted to assess the oral health and dental caries status of children with Hemophilia and compared to controls. Materials and Methods: Questionnaires were distributed to parents of both the groups to assess factors like dietary habits, brushing frequency of the children, educational level and the dental hygiene habits of parents. The Decayed, Missed and Filled tooth surfaces (DMFT, DMFS, dmft, dmfs) scores of permanent and primary dentition were recorded in 42 children with Hemophilia in the age range of 6 to 12 years and compared with 50 healthy children in the same age group. Data was analyzed using Chi-square, Kruskal Wallis and Independent t-test. Results: The brushing frequency of haemophilic children and their parents was found to be less when compared with the control group. Patients of the study group were significantly more caries prone and had poor oral hygiene when compared to controls (p< 0.05). Conclusion: It can be concluded by this study that children with Hemophilia had a significantly higher prevalence of dental caries and poor oral hygiene when compared to controls which might be attributed to the lack of proper oral hygiene habits and lack of motivation of parents regarding the importance of good oral hygiene.
Keywords: Children, Hemophilia, Oral health.