Oral health and oromotor function in rare diseases--a database study

Area of Science:

• Oral Health
• Rare Diseases
• Oromotor Function

Background:

• Rare diseases affect oral health and oromotor function due to nervous system, musculoskeletal, cognitive, neuropsychiatric, and craniofacial issues.
• Individuals with rare diseases often face marked disability.
• Risk factors for oral health and oromotor function are common in rare diseases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate oral health and oromotor function in individuals with rare diseases.
• To compare oral health and oromotor function between individuals with rare diseases and a healthy control group.

Main Methods:

• A study involving 1,703 individuals with 169 rare diseases (aged 3-67) and 135 healthy controls (aged 3-14).
• Data collected via questionnaires on general health, oral health, and orofacial function, followed by clinical examinations by a dentist and speech-language pathologist.
• Participants with rare diseases recruited through family programs, clinic referrals, and research projects; controls randomly selected.

Main Results:

• 40% of individuals with rare diseases had moderate/severe problems with dental treatment; 43% received specialized dental care.
• Difficulties with tooth brushing were common in the rare disease group compared to controls.
• Oromotor impairment was frequent (43%) in the rare disease group, absent in controls, and correlated with structural deviations and oral health issues.
• Frontal open bite, long face, and high palate were more common in individuals with rare diseases.

Conclusions:

• Individuals with rare diseases frequently exhibit oromotor dysfunction and dysmorphology.
• They experience challenges with dental treatment and tooth brushing compared to healthy individuals.
• Extra prophylactic and specialized dental care are essential for preventing oral diseases in this population.