ALVEOLAR BONE PATTERNS IN SICKLE-CELL-ANEMIA AND NON-SICKLE CELL ANEMIA ADOLESCENT NIGERIANS - A COMPARATIVE-STUDY

THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN SICKLE CELL anemia (SCA) and gnathopathy of th e permanent incisors forms the basis of this study. The alveolar bone patterns of adolescent Nigerians were observed in a comparative study of 50 SCA subjects and 50 controls from the same environment. Periapic al radiographs of the lower incisor and upper molar regions were taken . Alveolar bone levels were measured as a percent of the root lengths to account, in part, for angulation error These readings were then com pared between the two groups. No significant difference was observed i n the radiographic bone level measurements when the two groups were co mpared. These results clearly show that in this population of adolesce nts, sickle cell anemia is not associated with a difference in alveola r bone levels.