Dental and oral condition in leprosy patients from Serra, Brazil.
OBJECTIVE
To describe dental and periodontal diseases and oral lesions in newly diagnosed leprosy patients.


METHODS
Cohort study with 99 leprosy patients carried out at the Leprosy Control Programme Outpatient Clinic, Serra-ES, Brazil. A questionnaire about demographic and clinical data was used. Clinical oral examination was performed through the decayed, missing and filled teeth index (DMFT index), the use and need of prosthesis, periodontal disease and the presence of mucous membrane oral lesions. Skin and oral mucous biopsies were also undertaken.


RESULTS
Decayed teeth were present in 73% of the patients, at least one lost tooth was present in 71.4%, the mean of the number of lost teeth among the patients in this survey was 88; and 603% of the patients did not have their teeth filled. Periodontal disease was present in 80.8%, and gingival bleeding in 92% of the patients. DMFT index average was 14.4. Nine out of the 63 patients presented with oral clinical lesions, however, most of them presented with unspecific chronic inflammation and typical epithelial hyperplasia.


CONCLUSIONS
These newly diagnosed leprosy patients were similar in respect of oral health to the normal Brazilian population. Serious dental loss and edentulism were observed, as were a high DMFT index and frequency of periodontal diseases. These data highlight a lack of oral health prevention and treatment and poor access even when available.
Souza
Vania A
VA
Leprosy Control Programme, US Carapina, Serra-ES, Brazil.
Emmerich
Adauto
A
Coutinho
Elizabeth M
EM
Freitas
Margareth G
MG
Silva
Eraci H
EH
Merçon
Flavia G
FG
Souza
Aline C
AC
Balla
Viviane A C
VA
Zandonadi
Eliana
E
Peixoto
Rebeca R G
RR
Deps
Patrícia D
PD
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001938:Brazil; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007918:Leprosy / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000473:pathology*; D010519:Periodontium / Q000473:pathology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014070:Tooth / Q000473:pathology*; D014076:Tooth Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D055815:Young Adult