Oral health in adult patients with congenital coagulation disorders - a case control study

Abstract

Inflammatory disorders of the periodontium, gingivitis and periodontitis are among the most prevalent diseases worldwide. A few studies have found poorer oral health in patients with congenital coagulation disorders (CCD) like haemophilia and von Willebrand's disease compared with non-affected controls. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of congenital coagulation disorders on oral health and periodontal (alveolar) bone loss. This is a case control study comparing oral health and periodontal bone loss of patient with congenital coagulation disorders with matched healthy subjects. The examination included dental status (DMF-T), assessment of oral hygiene (modified Quigley-Hein-Index: QHI) and a dental panoramic X-ray for assessment of alveolar bone loss caused by periodontal disease. A total of 15 patients with CCD (Haemophilia A: n = 8, von Willebrand's disease: n = 7) were matched with 31 non-affected controls. We observed no clinical relevant difference of oral health (DMF-T, QHI) between patients with CCD and controls despite better oral hygiene (QHI) of patients with CCD. Moreover, there was a statistically significant difference in periodontal bone loss, but the observed difference is not clinically meaningful. Unlike previous studies carried out mainly in children we found no evidence that oral health or periodontal status in adult patients with CCD is worse than that in healthy subjects. However, larger studies and longitudinal studies in adults are needed to confirm our results.