Dental maturity in children with dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa.

PURPOSE This study was performed to compare Dental Age (DA) of children with Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa recessiva (DEBr) with the DA of healthy children. METHODS Orthopantomographs (OPG's) of children with DEBr were compared with those of healthy children. Dental maturity was estimated using Dermirjian's method. A total of 48 pairs of OPG's were compared. RESULTS There was a considerable range of variation in the difference between the chronological age and the dental age of both groups. This varied from minus 2 years 8 months to plus 3 years for the control children and minus 3 years 1 month to plus 3 years 4 months for the DEBr children. Despite this wider range the average DA of children with DEBr was statistically significantly delayed by 2 years 3 months. CONCLUSIONS The delay in dental developmental of children with DEBr may have an impact on the clinical management of these children.