Dental Needs and Health Behaviors in Patients with Epidermolysis Bullosa - a Survey

Background. Dental care in patients with a rare genetic disease, Epidermolysis bullosa (EB), remains a very serious problem. The disease is associated with the sensitivity of the oral mucosa to traumas and it manifests itself with the formation of painful, difficult to heal blisters and ulcers, which may appear independently or after even a minor injury. The essence of the disease in dental aspect is its tendency for the appearance of blisters during daily cleaning of oral cavity, as well as during the dental treatment. Objectives. The aim of this study was to evaluate dental health behaviors and dental needs of people suffering from Epidermolysis bullosa. Material and Methods. The survey included 32 ill people (12 men, 20 women). The questionnaire contained 20 questions concerning attitudes and behaviors related to oral hygiene, the evaluation of the commercially available products for cleaning teeth, the regularity of dentist visits, previously used prophylaxis, and a self-assessment of the dentition status. Results. On the basis of the data analysis, it was reported that only 20 of respondents brush their teeth twice a day and 9 of them do it once a day. Twenty respondents do not clean their tongue after brushing and only 1/3 of patients regularly use antibacterial mouth rinses. Only 5 respondents reported that commercially available toothbrushes meet their expectations and only 18 interviewees had undergone a professional prophylaxis procedure. Conclusions. It has to be pointed out that there is a need to intensify actions aimed at increasing oral health-related awareness in order to improve the functioning of the first part of GI tract, i.e. the oral cavity. Such activities will allow for the better nutrition of the body and, as a result, will improve patients' Heath