title: Orofacial manifestations in patients with sickle cell anemia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the prevalence of orofacial manifestations between patients with and without sickle cell anemia and to investigate the distribution of such events in patients with sickle cell anemia by sex and age.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was conducted in which 330 subjects divided into two groups (a group of individuals with sickle cell anemia and a healthy control group) were examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  It was observed that patients with sickle cell anemia had a significantly higher prevalence of previous mental nerve neuropathy (P = .000) and delayed tooth eruption (P = .006) than patients without the disease. Regarding the distribution of orofacial manifestations in patients with sickle cell anemia by sex and age, the only statistical associations were between the prevalence of previous mental nerve neuropathy and sex (P = .023) and previous mandibular pain and age (P = .019).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study found that sickle cell anemia is associated with the prevalence of previous mental nerve neuropathy and delayed tooth eruption. Moreover, previous mental nerve neuropathy is more frequent among females with sickle cell anemia, and previous mandibular pain is more frequent among individuals older than 21 years of age with sickle cell anemia. Further studies using a methodology similar to the one in this study are necessary considering the scarcity of studies using this approach.
authors.affiliation: Health Science Program, State University of Montes Claros, Montes Claros, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Patrícia Helena Costa
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Mendes
authors.forename: Naiara Gonçalves
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Fonseca
authors.forename: Daniela Reis Barbosa
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Martelli
authors.forename: Paulo Rogério Ferreti
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Bonan
authors.forename: Lana Kei Yamamoto
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: de Almeida
authors.forename: Luciana Antunes
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: de Melo
authors.forename: Hercílio
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Martelli
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000150:complications*; D001938:Brazil; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003389:Cranial Nerve Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005157:Facial Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008340:Mandibular Nerve; D008875:Middle Aged; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014076:Tooth Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D014078:Tooth Eruption; D055815:Young Adult