Oral Health Status In Children With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Objective Compared with normal children,the characteristics and treatment of oral diseases in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia(ALL)have their own special features.To provide basic data for the prevention of oral diseases in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia(ALL)by investigating the oral health status and behavior related to oral health knowledge of 73 children diagnosed with ALL and 73 healthy controls.Methods 73 children diagnosed with ALL and 73 healthy controls participated in the study.Oral examination was carried out for both groups,including the mean dmft or mean DMFT(decayed-missing-filled tooth),the caries prevalence rate,the obturation rate of caries,debris index(DI),plaque index(PLI)and modified gingival index(MGI).A questionnaire was given to the parents at the same time.The questionnaire includes oral health knowledge,oral health care behavior,the situation of children brushing their teeth,eating habits,regular oral examinations,etc.The data was collected and analyzed with software SPSS20.0.Results 1)The mean dmft or mean DMFT scores and the caries prevalence rate of children with ALL in the observation group was slightly higher than that of the control group,while the obturation rate of caries was significantly lower than the control group.The incidence of dental caries in children with ALL was not related to of children's sex,but was affected by their age,different areas,oral health care behavior and dietary habits.2)The scores of DI,PLI and MGI in children with ALL in the observation group were higher than those in the control group.The periodontal health status of children with ALL was not related to children's sex,but was affected by their age,different areas and oral health status.3)There was no significant difference between the two groups in obtaining oral health knowledge,and the oral health awareness of parents in both groups was poor,the awareness rate of oral health care knowledge was low.4)Children with ALL were obviously superior in controlling the sweet food.The oral cleaning mode of children with ALL was obviously different from that of the control group.Children in both groups used less floss and fluoride toothpaste and parents give less help to their children when they brushing their teeth.Conclusion The oral health status of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia(ALL)was worse than those of normal children and the parents' oral health knowledge is insufficient.It is necessary to pay more attention to the prevention and control of caries and periodontal diseases among children with ALL.We should strengthen the oral health education for children with ALL and their parents and give them oral hygiene guidance and dietary guidance at the right time,so as to enhance the oral health awareness of their parents and improve the oral health status of children with ALL.