Dental Health in People Living with Epilepsy

With major attention paid to the most evidently manifested illness like a seizure, few of the silent and deep-boring illnesses like dental issues are often neglected. This study has aimed to analyze the dental illness in people living with epilepsy (PWE).

This was a prospective, single-center, case-control study conducted among PWE and their family members from March to May 2022. A survey on demographic parameters, dental hygiene practices, and symptoms of dental illness was taken, followed by a detailed dental examination of the study participants. Independent t -test was used to compare dental illness among PWE and controls.

A total of 69 patients were included, with a mean age of 32.5 ± 2.4 years, and 45 (63%) patients were symptomatic with dental issues. Patients from higher socioeconomic status were found to have better dental hygiene practices but also had a higher prevalence of wasting disease of teeth. About 67 of 69 PWE and 19 of 33 controls were found to have dental illness. PWE had a higher degree of asymptomatic soft tissue abnormalities (24 vs 0%, p < 0.0001) and periodontal disease (13 vs 7.4%, p < 0.0001) as compared to controls. Symptomatic PWE, in comparison to controls, had statistically significant hard tissue abnormalities (66 vs 33%, p = 0.0001), periodontal disease (48 vs 0%, p < 0.0001), and poor dental hygiene status (83 vs 33%, p < 0.0001). Duration and type of epilepsy had no impact on being symptomatic or asymptomatic with dental issues.

The hidden yet significant burden of dental illness must be addressed in PWE to improve the quality of life.