THE CHEMICAL-COMPOSITION OF TOOTH ENAMEL IN RECESSIVE DYSTROPHIC EPIDERMOLYSIS-BULLOSA - SIGNIFICANCE WITH RESPECT TO DENTAL-CARIES

Previous reports have linked the prevalence of tooth abnormalities wit h high caries experience in the different types of epidermolysis bullo sa (EB). However, it is not known to what extent the apparent suscepti bility to enamel caries is due to disease-related altered enamel chemi stry in these cases. The aim of this study was to characterize the ena mel of teeth from patients suffering from recessive epidermolysis bull osa dystrophica (rEBD) in terms of its mineral content, carbonate cont ent, protein content, and amino acid composition. The results showed t hat dental enamel from these patients was essentially normal in terms of its chemistry. It is therefore concluded that the high caries exper ience in recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa patients is probab ly related to other factors, such as compromised oral hygiene and prol onged oral clearance due to extensive oral soft tissue damage and a ca riogenic diet.