Oral health status in individuals with Down syndrome

Abstract

Down syndrome (DS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder of known genetic cause, with a wide array of oral and systemic manifestations. The aim of the present study is to determine the level of oral hygiene status and practice of a group of individuals with DS in Benghazi/Libya. In this cross–sectional study 124 individuals were recruited from The Rehabilitation Centre of Special Needs in the city of Benghazi, Libya. Questionnaires were distributed among the attendees, covering oral health aspects and diet habits. Oral examination was conducted to evaluate oral health status among individuals with DS. The data were analysed descriptively and inferentially (including Chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test) using the Statistical Package for Social Science version 20 (SPSS). Most of DS individuals brush their teeth once daily (62%), spending less than one minute in brushing (44%). For diet habits, more than half (55%) eat sweet snacks between meals. For the dental status, 47% of the subject had zero DMFT, followed by score 2 in 21%. The highest percentage in Oral hygiene Index (OHI) was scored 1 by 46% of participants. The zero CPITN score was seen in 54.5%. Our results have shown a weaker tendency of DS towards oral hygiene. This should strengthen our goal of guiding and encouraging parents of individuals with DS to be more cautious in providing help and supervision of their individuals’ practice of oral health care.

CBCT Assessment of Gubernacular Canals on Permanent Tooth Eruption in Down’s Syndrome

“…Additionally, we had a Ds individuals group in our study for which we evaluated common eruption disturbances (n = 213/338-63%) associated with this syndrome, which had a major influence on our 338 impacted or delayed/unerupted teeth [5,7,19,20]. According to the literature, GC absence or anatomical deformation could be possibly associated with various obstructive odontogenic tumors, such as compound or complex odontomas, mesiodens, or adenomatoid odontogenic tumors, which is demonstrated in our results [21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31].…”

“…The main reason why this sample was selected was that individuals with this genetic disorder may present various oral cavity alterations and specific oral/craniofacial characteristics such as class III malocclusions, maxillary hypoplasia, periodontal disease, dental caries, missing teeth, and some dental abnormalities such as microdontia, taurodontism, impacted teeth or hypodontia, and tongue disorders such as macroglossia that will affect their oral and respiratory functions, decreasing their oral quality of life [15][16][17][18]. Furthermore, due to these oral cavity alterations and Ds craniofacial characteristics, some parafunctional habits can be seen in these individuals such as tongue thrusting, bruxism, mouth breathing, and obstructive sleep apnea [25][26][27][28].…”

Down Syndrome Altered Cell Composition in Blood, Brain, and Buccal Swab Samples Profiled by DNA-Methylation-Based Cell-Type Deconvolution

“…Individuals with DS are at an increased risk of oral diseases and struggle with oral health maintenance [ 17 ]. A substantial shift in buccal swab cells in DS patients was observed in our study, with a significant increase in immune cell proportion and a significant decrease in epithelial cell proportion.…”

“…Individuals with DS often experience a negative impact on their quality of life and overall health. One of the main difficulties in the DS population is oral health maintenance [ 17 ]. DS populations have a higher risk of oral diseases such as dental caries, periodontal disease, and abnormalities of the tongue and palate [ 17 , 18 , 19 ].…”

“…One of the main difficulties in the DS population is oral health maintenance [ 17 ]. DS populations have a higher risk of oral diseases such as dental caries, periodontal disease, and abnormalities of the tongue and palate [ 17 , 18 , 19 ]. This increased risk is associated with various factors, including altered immune function, structural abnormalities of the teeth and jaws, and difficulty with oral hygiene self-care [ 17 , 18 ].…”