S Sowmya, A Haripriya
Oral Medicine, Radiology and Special Care Dentistry, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, IND.
Cureus. 2024 Aug 3;16(8):e66101. doi: 10.7759/cureus.66101. eCollection 2024 Aug.
Introduction Epilepsy, a chronic neurological disorder marked by recurrent seizures, affects approximately 50 million people worldwide with a higher prevalence in developing countries. This condition challenges motor skills and coordination, leading to poor oral health maintenance. The study aimed to evaluate the effect of epilepsy on oral health outcomes in adults by contrasting South Indian epileptics with healthy controls. The primary objective was to assess the prevalence of oral health issues in patients with epilepsy compared to healthy individuals and to analyze the types and frequency of dental procedures required in epileptic patients compared to healthy controls in the South Indian population. Materials and methods A retrospective study was conducted in the Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Chennai, India. Approved by the Institutional Human Ethical Committee (Registration ID: IHEC/SDC/OMED-2202/23/106), the study involved 105 epileptic patients and 105 healthy controls from records between January 2021 and December 2023. Both male and female patients within the age limit of 18-55 years were included. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 29.0 (Released 2022; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States). Results The study involved 210 participants with an equal gender distribution. Valproate was the most common medication used by 39% of epileptic patients. Gingival hyperplasia was significantly more prevalent in the epileptic group (24%). The epileptic group also required more dental procedures, with 32% of teeth needing restoration, 20% root canal treatment, and 20% extraction, compared to 12%, 11%, and 5%, respectively, in the control group. Conclusion Epileptic patients exhibit poorer oral health outcomes, including higher rates of gingival hyperplasia and a greater need for dental procedures compared to healthy controls. These findings highlight the necessity for targeted dental care and regular monitoring for individuals with epilepsy to improve their oral health and overall quality of life.
引言
癫痫是一种以反复发作的癫痫发作为特征的慢性神经系统疾病，全球约有5000万人受其影响，在发展中国家的患病率更高。这种疾病对运动技能和协调性构成挑战，导致口腔卫生维护不佳。本研究旨在通过对比南印度癫痫患者与健康对照，评估癫痫对成年人口腔健康结果的影响。主要目的是评估癫痫患者与健康个体相比口腔健康问题的患病率，并分析南印度人群中癫痫患者与健康对照相比所需牙科治疗的类型和频率。
材料与方法
在印度钦奈萨维塔牙科学院和医院的口腔医学与放射科进行了一项回顾性研究。该研究经机构人类伦理委员会批准（注册编号：IHEC/SDC/OMED - 2202/23/106），涉及2021年1月至2023年12月记录中的105例癫痫患者和105例健康对照。纳入了年龄在18 - 55岁之间的男性和女性患者。使用IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows，版本29.0（2022年发布；IBM公司，美国纽约州阿蒙克）进行统计分析。
结果
该研究涉及210名参与者，性别分布均衡。丙戊酸盐是39%的癫痫患者最常用的药物。牙龈增生在癫痫组中明显更常见（24%）。癫痫组也需要更多的牙科治疗，32%的牙齿需要修复，20%需要根管治疗，20%需要拔牙，而对照组分别为12%、11%和5%。
结论
与健康对照相比，癫痫患者的口腔健康结果较差，包括牙龈增生率更高以及对牙科治疗的需求更大。这些发现凸显了对癫痫患者进行针对性牙科护理和定期监测以改善其口腔健康和整体生活质量的必要性。
