Periodontal findings in 3 cases with Down’s syndrome

Abstract

This paper was investigated to examine the oral health, mainly concerning the periodontal findings, in 3 cases with Down’s syndrome. The follwing findings were obtained:

1) There was very severe inflammation in the periodontal tissue in the 3 cases. The gingival redness and the swelling were related to the local irritants such as dental plaque and calculus. However, the pocket depths and the alveolar bone resorption were not always correlated to the local irritants.

2)The degree and the distribution of the dental caries in Down’s syndrome patients were lower than those in age-matched disabled patients, who had been institutionalized at the same place.

3)The severe periodontal disease in Down’s syndrome patients was not so much caused by such factors as the reduction of resistance to infections, as compared to the local factors such as poor oral hygiene and microdontation.