Dental status of patients with chronic hepatitis C

BACKGROUND: The high prevalence of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) makes it a serious public health issue, and this is further aggravated by the increased incidence of associated oral mucosal diseases.

AIM: To assess the dental status of patients with chronic viral hepatitis.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: A comprehensive dental examination of 48 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of CHC was carried out. The study group was classified based on the Knodell index of histological activity of chronic hepatitis, as follows: (1a) mild process activity (4–8 points; n=20); and (1b) moderate process activity (9–12 points; n=28 patients). The comparison group consisted of 30 apparently healthy individuals (16 men, 14 women; age: 28–36 years) with no evidence of any somatic pathology following a professional medical examination.

RESULTS: A comprehensive dental examination of patients with chronic hepatitis C showed evidence of gingival bleeding when brushing teeth, bad breath, erosions in the oral mucosa, and a high prevalence of severe periodontal inflammation. The most common diseases observed in this group included recurrent aphthous stomatitis, candidiasis, and chronic herpetic stomatitis, all of which were accompanied by severe pain.

CONCLUSION: The auto-fluorescence study showed preclinical signs of hyperkeratotic changes in the dental area in approximately 21.2±1.6% of the study group. A correlation between the frequency and severity of symptoms of dental diseases and the degree of underlying CHC disease activity was seen.