TUESDAY, Sept. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Children who undergo bone marrow transplant often have dental problems before the procedure, and may be at risk for root stunting after the procedure, according to a report in the August 22 advance online issue of Bone Marrow Transplantation.
Such children should have dental checkups, because "it's important to make sure they do not have cavities that could act as doorways to the bloodstream for disease-causing bacteria," said Susan C. Kaste, of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., in a statement.
Kaste and colleagues conducted a retrospective analysis of 99 pediatric patients (median age 13.5 years) who underwent bone marrow transplant between 1990 and 2000. Overall, 56.6% of the children had abnormal dentition including dental caries before transplant and 79.8% did so after transplant. The only factor significantly associated with transplant was root stunting, which was seen in children who had a mixture of primary and permanent teeth at the time of the transplant. About 5% of such children had root stunting before the procedure compared with 27% after the procedure.
Primary treatment, neglected oral hygiene and poor nutrition are likely the main causes of such dental problems, according to the researchers. Routine dental evaluation and meticulous dental hygiene are needed not only during the pre-transplant period, but should also be continued long term, the authors conclude.
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