DENTAL HEALTH FOLLOWING CHILDHOOD EXPOSURE TO IONIZING RADIATION

Background and aims: Exposure to high doses of ionizing radiation (4-30Gy) in childhood may cause dental abnormalities including root and crown defects, caries and decreased parotid secretions. Data on the effects of lower dose radiation to teeth is sparse. This study aimed to examine the long-term effects of radiation given as treatment for tinea capitis (TC) in childhood on dental health. Methods: The target population included a subsample of 426 irradiated and 401 non-irradiated subjects from the TC cohort (estimated dose to teeth 0.2-0.4Gy). For each of the 253 irradiated and 162 non-irradiated who agreed to participate, a personal interview and a dental examination were performed. The questionnaire covered socio-demographic parameters, smoking, history of diseases and an oral hygiene habits section. The DMFT (decayed (D), missing (M), and filled (F)) index for permanent teeth was used to determine caries experience. Ordered multivariate logistic regression model was used to assess factors (gender, ag...