Oral characteristics of children with seizure disorders in a tertiary health institution

Abstract

Background: Children with seizure disorders are faced with different oral conditions from lack of personal care, side effects of medications, and injuries from poor neuromuscular controls. Aims: This study aims to assess the oral health characteristics of children diagnosed with seizure disorders. Settings and Design: A cross-sectional survey was carried out among children aged 0–16 years who attended the outpatient neurology clinic of the Department of Paediatrics, Lagos University Teaching Hospital and an age- and gender-matched control group. Materials and Methods: Data were collected through interviewer-administered questionnaires to their parents/caregivers and oral examinations of the children. Statistical Analysis Used: Data entry was done using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20, and statistical analysis was performed using Chi-square test, and the level of significance was set at P < 0.05. Results: Two groups of 101 children each with seizure disorders and without seizure disorders aged between10 months and 16 years participated in the study. Majority of the participants with seizures –92 (91.1%) had never visited the dentist. The Decayed, Missing, Filled Teeth for participants with seizure disorders and control were 0.56 + 1.89 and 0.15 + 0.50, respectively. With regard to gingival hyperplasia, anterior open bite, proclined teeth, and fractures of teeth, patients with seizures showed significantly worse conditions compared with the control group. Conclusions: Result from this study showed that children who have seizures had poorer oral health and dental visit behavior than those without seizures. There is therefore a need for oral health care to be incorporated into recommended health care of these groups of patients to improve their quality of life.

Keywords

• dental visits
• oral health characteristics
• seizure disorders