O'Rourke C, Mitropoulos C
Dental Department, Central Manchester Health Authority, Moss Side Health Centre.
Br Dent J. 1990 Sep 8;169(5):130-2. doi: 10.1038/sj.bdj.4807296.
The potential danger of low oxygen tension to patients with sickle cell disease is widely known. However, less well known is the phenomenon of patients with sickle cell disease presenting with toothache in the absence of any dental pathology. This study investigated the experience of orofacial pain in three matched groups, comprising patients with sickle cell disease, sickle cell trait and patients with no known blood dyscrasia. There were no differences in pain experience between those groups with sickle cell trait and no known blood dyscrasia. The sickle cell disease patients experienced significantly more orofacial pain in the same 12-month period than the other groups. The pain was also more frequent and of longer duration. In two-thirds of those sickle cell disease patients who experienced toothache, no dental pathology was found, in direct contrast to patients with trait or no known blood dyscrasia. Sickling of blood cells within the dental pulp in a sickle cell crisis may result in pain within teeth. These patients may then present as experiencing toothache in the absence of any dental pathology. General dental practitioners should be aware of this phenomenon when providing care for these susceptible patients.
低氧张力对镰状细胞病患者的潜在危险广为人知。然而，镰状细胞病患者在没有任何牙科病理状况的情况下出现牙痛的现象却鲜为人知。本研究调查了三组匹配人群的口面部疼痛经历，这三组人群分别为镰状细胞病患者、镰状细胞性状携带者以及无已知血液异常的患者。镰状细胞性状携带者和无已知血液异常的患者在疼痛经历方面没有差异。在相同的12个月期间，镰状细胞病患者经历的口面部疼痛明显多于其他组。疼痛也更频繁且持续时间更长。在经历牙痛的镰状细胞病患者中，三分之二未发现牙科病理状况，这与镰状细胞性状携带者或无已知血液异常的患者形成直接对比。镰状细胞危象时牙髓内血细胞的镰变可能导致牙齿疼痛。这些患者可能会在没有任何牙科病理状况的情况下表现为牙痛。普通牙科医生在为这些易感患者提供护理时应意识到这一现象。
