IADR Abstract Archives

Evaluation of Dental Development in a Sample of HIV-Infected Children in South Africa

Objectives: To assess dental development in a sample of HIV-positive children and compare it to a matched HIV-negative control group
Methods: The study design was a retrospective case-control study. A sample of 45 vertically infected HIV-positive children presenting at Tygerberg Oral Health Centre, Cape Town, South Africa were matched to group of 45 HIV-negative controls. An orthopantomograph of each child was evaluated independently by two calibrated examiners to determine the dental age by assessing the mineralisation stages of the left mandibular secondary dentition. Morrees et al. (1963) dental development stages were employed. The standardised dental age related tables of Phillips and van Wyk-Kotze (2009) which were formulated for the South African population were used to determine the stages of tooth mineralisation. Data was compiled on, and analysed using Microsoft Excel® and Epi Info 2000.
Results: In the HIV-positive group, 22 (48.89%) children were male and 23 (51.11%) were female, with chronological ages ranging between 4.17 - 15.09 years (mean = 8.70) years. Thirty-seven (82.2%) of these children were on ARV’s while the rest were not.
Comparison between the mean chronological and dental ages of HIV-positive group showed a statistically significant (P =0.0342) advancement of dental development in the HIV-positive group. Comparison between the dental age of HIV-positive group and their matching controls did not show any statistically significant differences.
Conclusions: Vertically-infected HIV-positive children presented stages of dental development more advanced as compared to their chronological age. However, when compared to their matching HIV-negative controls, their dental development was similar. It is recommended that a larger sample be investigated to confirm/repute these findings. ARV therapy as a confounding factor is best assessed by comparing a sample of patients on ARV’s to a similar sample not receiving ARV’s.
African and Middle Eastern Region Meeting
2017 African and Middle Eastern Region Meeting (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia)
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
2017

Pediatric Oral Health Research
  • Behardien, Nashreen  ( University of the Western Cape , Cape Town , Western Province , South Africa )
  • Titinchi, Fadi  ( University of the Western Cape , Cape Town , Western Province , South Africa )
  • None
    Poster Session
    2017 African and Middle Eastern Region Meeting (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia)