Oral health of children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
OBJECTIVE
s. To estimate dental disease indices and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).


METHODS
Indices were recorded for dental caries, bacterial dental plaque, gingival inflammation, and TMJ dysfunction in children with JIA and matched controls.


RESULTS
There was no significant difference in dental caries experience or the mean plaque score between children with JIA and controls. The mean gingivitis score for the permanent teeth only was significantly greater in the JIA children compared with the controls (p = 0.02). There was a significantly greater proportion of children with JIA with signs of both left and right TMJ dysfunction (p = 0.05, p = 0.02) and symptoms (p = 0.0001, p = 0.0001) compared with controls.


CONCLUSIONS
The low caries rate was attributed to the fact that children with JIA had received preventive dental care from an early age combined with sugar free medication.
Ahmed
Nabila
N
Department of Rheumatology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, United Kingdom.
Bloch-Zupan
Agnès
A
Murray
Kevin J
KJ
Calvert
Mary
M
Roberts
Graham J
GJ
Lucas
Victoria S
VS
D001171:Arthritis, Juvenile / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D003743:Dental Enamel / Q000473:pathology; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005459:Fluorides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005891:Gingivitis / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D009909:Oral Health; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013705:Temporomandibular Joint Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology
D005459:Fluorides