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Sickle Cell Disease Dental Relevance — MFDS Part 1 MCQ

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ModerateHuman DiseaseSickle Cell Disease Dental RelevanceMFDS Part 1

Which combination of oral and maxillofacial findings is most consistent with sickle cell disease?

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Correct answer: C — Vaso-occlusive jaw pain and increased susceptibility to jaw osteomyelitis

Sickle cell disease causes vaso-occlusion, producing painful crises that may involve the jaws and other bones. Ischaemic bone injury, together with increased susceptibility to infection, is associated with osteomyelitis of the jaws. Gingival enlargement and excessive salivation are not characteristic manifestations. Dental development may show enamel hypoplasia and delayed, rather than accelerated, eruption; enamel hypermineralisation is not expected. Ischaemia of the dental pulp can cause otherwise unexplained pulpal necrosis, so a reduced risk is incorrect. Functional hyposplenism increases infection risk, and postoperative healing is not characteristically accelerated.

Reference: Chekroun M et al. Oral manifestations of sickle cell disease. British Dental Journal. 2019;226:27–31. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30631169/