DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2019.v07i12.039

Pages: 4022-4025

Purpose: The infections such as gingivitis may increase due to immune suppression after BMT and can be life-threatening. Therefore, in these patients, the provision of effective oral care is an important strategy in reducing the number of decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) scores and preventing of periodontal and systemic infections. The aim of this study is to assess the DMFT, gingival health, and oral status of children after bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Methods: Thirty-one patients treated with BMT and 31 healthy children were selected. Dental examinations were performed 100 days after BMT in the study group. The DMFT, plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), and bleeding on probing (BOP) values were recorded. Results: The differences between PI, GI, and BOP were not statistically significant in either group. Although the DMFT index values were lower in children treated with BMT than in children from the control group, the difference between the 2 groups was not statistically significant (p=0.836); however, dmft (p=0.05) and total DMFT scores were significantly different (p=0.035). Conclusion: Although the children in the study group are at high risk for dental caries and periodontal problems, there were no differences in the values of indexes between groups because a periodic oral examination was performed by a dentist before and after BMT.