INCIDENCE OF DENTAL-CARIES IN CHILDREN WITH ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC-LEUKEMIA IS RELATED TO THE THERAPY USED

sponse rate was 60 percent (N = 742). Data were analyzed using frequen cies and Chi-Square tests (P-value < 0.05). Only 9.6 percent of the sa mple had sealants on their permanent molars. Variables that were found associated with children more likely to have sealants included: gende r (female children more likely than males); children with a recent den tal exam; children having a regular dentist; parents having heard abou t seal-lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) were significantly higher than in healthy age-and-sex-matched controls after cessation of therapy). The children with CNS irradiation had higher DMFT (7.13) than children wit h only chemotherapy (3.4) and the controls (1.8). Lifelong caries inci dence showed that children with ALL had 2.7 new caries lesions per yea r during the therapy compared to the 1.1 (p < 0.05) new lesions in con trols. More detailed analysis of permanent anterior teeth at the age o f twelve years showed that all patient groups had more filled anterior teeth than controls (p < 0.001); and children with bone marrow transp lantation had significantly more fillings than the other two groups.