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Objective: The aim of this prospective controlled study is the comparison between long-term children survived
leukaemia and a control group in terms of the decayed, missing or filled permanent teeth (DMFT) and dental
anomalies.
Study design: Fifty-two long term children survived leukaemia, aged from 8 to 15 years (27 females, 25 males;
mean age 11.5 years) were evaluated for the possible effects of the anti-leukaemic therapy on dental development
and compared to a control group of 52 healthy children (27 females, 25 males, mean age 11 years). All long-term
children who survived were at least 24 months in continuous complete remission. The study of the dental status
with a routine oral examination and panoramic radiographs was performed. The DMFT (recorded according to
the WHO criteria) and dental anomalies were registered and evaluated.
Results: The results of this study evidence that long-term children survived leukaemia, in comparison with the
control group, have an higher risk to develop dental caries and show a greater severity of dental anomalies including V-shaped roots, dental agenesis, microdontia, enamel dysplasias.
Conclusions: Paediatric patients with haemathological diseases require a special attentions in dental care in addition to the antineoplastic treatment. Therefore, oral hygiene and oral health can be maintained thanks to a close
cooperation between the paediatric oncohaematologists, pediatrics dental surgeons and dental hygienists.
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