The purpose of this observational cross-sectional study was to assess the oral health of children between the ages of 6 to 18 with neutropenia attending the Marrow Failure and Myelodysplasia Program at The Hospital for Sick Children and compare the results to healthy control patients attending the Children’s Clinic, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto. Fifteen patients with neutropenia and 26 healthy controls participated in this study. Patients with neutropenia reported an increased incidence of mouth sores and bleeding gums while brushing. However, clinical examination showed no statistical differences in the presence of ulcerations, gingival recession, tooth mobility, gingival inflammation or plaque and calculus levels. The dmft/t and DMFT/T scores were lower for the group with neutropenia, but only the dmft/t score was significant. This data suggests that patients with neutropenia that are being treated by a haematologist do not experience any more severe oral problems than healthy dental patients.

The purpose of this observational cross-sectional study was to assess the oral health of children between the ages of 6 to 18 with neutropenia attending the Marrow Failure and Myelodysplasia Program at The Hospital for Sick Children and compare the results to healthy control patients attending the Children’s Clinic, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto. Fifteen patients with neutropenia and 26 healthy controls participated in this study. Patients with neutropenia reported an increased incidence of mouth sores and bleeding gums while brushing. However, clinical examination showed no statistical differences in the presence of ulcerations, gingival recession, tooth mobility, gingival inflammation or plaque and calculus levels. The dmft/t and DMFT/T scores were lower for the group with neutropenia, but only the dmft/t score was significant. This data suggests that patients with neutropenia that are being treated by a haematologist do not experience any more severe oral problems than healthy dental patients.