From this day onwards, children with special healthcare needs will meet the world with the underlining unmet dental needs. It is a stipulated fact that children with special healthcare needs receive less preventive care, less restorative care and more extractions and they have higher rates of gingivitis and periodontal diseases. In the following and upcoming post we will know a little more of different syndrome and their associated oral and dental needs.
Hallermann Streiff Francois is a rare craniofacial congenital disorder described by Hallermann in 1948 and Streiff in 1950.Francois described seven signs to positively differentiate and characterised it as a syndrome.
This ocular mandibular disorder clinically presents with peculiar bird face, Hypoplasia of maxilla and mandible, Hypertrichosis, Hypodontia, Hypoplasia of enamel, High palate. Short stature, Skin atrophy, Sensitive to light/loud sound, small beaked nose, severe retruded chin, severe caries, supernumerary and short roots. Microphthalmia with cataracts, brachycephalic skull with frontal bossing, small upper airway with airway obstruction causing respiratory embarrassment and tracheostomy is therefore commonly planned.
Having enumerated the features it is accounted that people with Hallermann Streiff syndrome suffer from eighty percent of dental anomalies. Anterior displacement or absence of condyles is common and most of them presented with premature eruption of primary teeth associated with neonatal/natal teeth which are brittle and may be easily broken or avulsed during endotracheal procedures. Agenesis of permanent teeth and complex malocclusion leads to difficulty in oral hygiene and severe caries in such short roots further makes root canal treatment difficult.
Surgery is often necessary for the eye, head and facial features. Children are also seen regularly followed by a dentist and an orthodontist. Preventive program is essential and should be scheduled timely or every three to six months under appropriate dental or medical insurance. Fluoride prophylaxis and preventive resin restoration of permanent teeth to prevent loss of teeth is the need of the hour. Beside early diagnosis and caries assessment makes the patient less susceptible to future dental decay. But beyond this is the requirement of special needs dentistry which will be adept to handle patients in timely manner and dedicated care.
GAMEFACE 