Evaluation of dental status and dental treatment needs in patients with thalassemia major in Bandar Abbas

Thalassemia is a common hereditary disease which is one of the health problems in Iran due to its high prevalence. The aim of this study was to evaluate the dental health and treatment needs of patients with major thalassemia in Bandar Abbas.

This descriptive cross-sectional study was performed on 80 thalassemic patients referred to Bandar Abbas health centers. The control group consisted of 80 healthy individuals who were selected by age and sex similar to the patient group. The age range of participants was between 4 and 22 years old with an average of 12.36 ± 14.8 years. The demographic data were recorded in the questionnaire and then the caries and dental needs were determined by clinical examination. Data were analyzed by descriptive and analytical statistics using the SPSS-21 software.

The mean DMFT of permanent teeth in thalassemia and control group was 5.04 ± 5.07 and 2.9 ± 3.57 respectively, which according to Mann-Whitney test, there was a significant difference between the two groups (P value = 0.015). This rate in deciduous teeth for thalassemia and control groups was 5.59 ±3.36 and 4.05± 2.99, respectively (P value = 0.044). In thalassemia patients, the need for restoration (P value = 0.027) and root canal treatment (P value = 0.013) were higher. There was also a significant difference between DMFT and frequency of tooth brushing in both groups of thalassemia and control group (<0.0001).

Due to the higher level of DMFT in patients with thalassemia major, health education, preventive measures and dental treatments are necessary for these patients.