Evaluation of the prevalence and possible etiology of dental developmental defects in patients with trizomy 21

Hypoplasia, hypocalcification and enamel defects are commonly observed among dental findings of Down syndrome, which is the most common autosomal chromosomal disease, also known as Trisomy 21 or Trisomy G. The researchers concluded that the fetus was exposed to a number of developmental disorders during and after fetal life in Down syndrome and stated that they had difficulties in neonatal adaptation. As a result, it was reported that the incremental lines similar to the growth rings in a tree, which were formed during the maturation of dentin and enamel in Down syndrome, were larger and darker than healthy individuals. Antimicrobial chemotherapy in early ages may cause tetracycline discoloration. Some researchers; hypoplastic defects have postnatal changes rather than prenatal changes, and these defects occur as a result of significant or prolonged febrile diseases. In the literature, the number of studies on the prevalence of hypoplasia and hypocalcemia disorders in the teeth of individuals with Down syndrome is negligible. In this study, it is aimed to evaluate the prevalence and possible etiologic factors of hypoplasia and hypocalcemia disorders in the teeth of individuals with Down syndrome. In our study, 50 patients with Down syndrome and control group consisted of 50 healthy individuals, hypoplasia and hypomineralization disorders, bruxism, attrition in teeth, crowding, anterior open bite, deep palate, infantile swallowing , erosion, trauma, chewing, swallowing problem, caries prevalence was recorded. At the same time, a questionnaire was applied to the parents about the etiology of hypoplasia. The data were statistically analyzed by Fisher's Exact Test, Chi-square test and Mann Whitney-U test. The prevalence of hypoplasia was found to be %6 in Down syndrome patients. All individuals with hypoplasia were identified as males. In the Down syndrome, bruxism, attriation, crowding, anterior open bite, deep palate, infantile swallowing, chewing and swallowing were significantly higher than the control group. The dfs values of Down syndrome patients were significantly lower than the control group and no significant difference was found between the DMFS values. Tooth brushing habits of Down syndrome patients with hypoplasia were significantly lower than those with Down syndrome without hypoplasia, whereas dfs and DMFS values were found to be significantly higher. Our study may notice the prevalence of hypoplasia in tooth structure of Down syndrome individuals and other studies on possible etiologic factors. However, more studies are required in which more people with Down syndrome are involved. Key words: Down syndrome; Enamel hypoplasia; Prevalence; Etiological factors