Gingival Enlargement in Children Treated With Antiepileptics

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the occurrence, severity, and risk factors of gingival enlargement in children treated with valproate and other nonvalproate antiepileptic drugs. A cross-sectional study was carried out in which data obtained from 68 epileptic children under treatment were compared with those from 50 controls. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data on patients' demographics, dental and oral hygiene practices, and medication history. Gingival enlargement, gingival index, plaque index, and probing depth were measured to assess periodontal health. The chi-square and Fisher exact tests were used in statistical analysis. In case of significance, a detailed chi-square analysis was carried out to determine the origin of the difference. Patients in both the valproate and nonvalproate groups showed significantly higher gingival enlargement, gingival index, plaque scores, and pocketing ( P < .001 and P < .01, respectively) than the control group. In the valproate group, the duration of the treatment had a significant effect on gingival enlargement ( P < .001) but not on gingival index, plaque index, and probing depth values ( P > .05). Toothbrushing was most frequent in the control group ( P = .000) and more frequent in the valproate group than the nonvalproate group ( P = .024). Our study showed significant differences regarding gingival enlargement in children treated with valproate. These findings illustrate that epileptic children on valproate are at risk of periodontal problems. ( J Child Neurol 2004; 19:958-963).