Introduction: Beta thalassemia or “Thalassemia Major” is a common genetic blood disorder with known skeletal and craniofacial deformities that may result in cosmetic abnormalities and emotional distress in these developing children. Present investigation attempted with the aim to compare dental arch dimensions in thalassemic and normal children (age group 7-14 years) of central India population including the effect of systemic disease on general and orofacial growth in thalassemic patients versus normally growing children.
Methods: A random sample of 100 children was equally divided in two groups as thalassemic and normal to investigate the longitudinal, horizontal and vertical dental arch dimensions in thalassemic children and compare them with corresponding values in a group of unaffected normal children. Alginate impressions were made to make standardized dental casts. Various maxillary and mandibular arch dimensions such as interincisal width, intercanine width, interpremolar width and intermolar width were measured on maxillary and mandibular dental casts using electronic digital sliding vernier calliper with conventional linear measurement method. Error estimation was done using Dahlberg’s formula and Student’s t-test was used to compare the results.
Results: The results of the study indicate that, thalassemic children had statistically significant decreased arch width compared to healthy children (p< 0.05). They also had decreased maxillary arch length (inter-incisor 27.34 ± 2.41, inter-canine 35.52 ± 2.82, inter-premolar 41.49 ± 4.02 and inter-molar 50.92 ± 2.73 respectively) whereas mandibular arch length was unaffected.
Conclusion: Thalassemic children had narrow maxilla and mandible with thin cortical plates as compared to systemically healthy children.
Impact Factor
2022: 6.012
This work is licensed under a