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Oral health status of hospitalized children with cancer: a comparative study
B Willershausen1, K Lenzner, B Hagedorn
1Department of Restorative Dentistry and Periodontology, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Augustusplatz 2, D-55131 Mainz, Germany. willersh@goofy.zdv.Uni-Mainz.de
Insights
Children with cancer undergoing treatment have significantly poorer oral health, including higher rates of caries and gingivitis, compared to healthy hospitalized children. This highlights the need for specialized dental care for pediatric cancer patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Oncology
- Oral Medicine
- Public Health
Background:
- Hospitalized children with leukemia or cancer face unique oral health challenges due to aggressive treatments and prolonged hospital stays.
- Comparing oral health status between these vulnerable children and healthy hospitalized peers is crucial for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify significant differences in oral health indicators between pediatric cancer patients and healthy children admitted for surgery.
- To inform the development of specialized prophylactic measures for hospitalized cancer patients.
Main Methods:
- Visual oral examinations assessing caries (DMF/T), oral hygiene, periodontal disease, and oral mucosa defects.
- Comparison of findings between children with cancer and a control group of children without systemic illnesses.
Main Results:
- Cancer patients exhibited a higher prevalence of caries (40.7% caries-free vs. 53.7% in controls) and significantly poorer oral hygiene (49% vs. 87%).
- Gingivitis was markedly more prevalent in cancer patients (62.8%) compared to the control group (7.4%, p < 0.0001).
- Both groups showed a 63% need for treatment in their remaining dentition.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric cancer patients undergoing aggressive therapy require dedicated dental examinations upon hospital admission.
- Proactive dental care is essential to mitigate the adverse oral health effects associated with cancer treatment and hospitalization.
Abstract:
In this study, oral findings from children suffering from leukemia or other cancers, and hospitalized for treatments, are compared with findings from hospitalized patients from the Children s Surgery Department, without systemic or general illnesses. The aim of the study is to determine possible differences in the status of oral health between the hospitalized cancer-ward children and children hospitalized, but with good general health, in order to develop special prophylactic measures as required. The visual oral findings included the prevalence of caries (DMF/T, Decayed, Missed, Filled/Tooth), oral hygiene, severe periodontal diseases, records of defects of the oral mucosa, and information was collected on fluoridation. For both groups of children, the degree of treatment-need of the remaining dentition was 63%. Caries-free dentition was found in 53.7% of the surgery patients and 40.7% of the cancer-ward children. Good oral hygiene was found in only 49% of the cases among the cancer-ward children, while among the children without systemic illness the figure climbed to 87% of the cases. Gingivitis among the children without general illness was only diagnosed in 7.4% of the cases, but in contrast, among the cancer-ward children the percentage of gingivitis (62.8% ) was significantly higher (p < 0.0001). The present study strongly suggests that for children with cancer and subject to aggressive therapy and/or long hospitalizations, beyond the general medical examination on hospital admission, a dental examination should also be instituted.
