Purpose: We determined the prevalence of oral disorders and the dental
treatment needs of outpatients with epilepsy. Methods: A questionnair
e was administered to 56 consecutive patients (35 males, 21 females) p
resenting to an outpatient clinic. All patients underwent dental exami
nations. The clinical and diagnostic features of each patient's epilep
sy were also obtained. Results.-The mean age (+/-SD) of the patients w
as 25.1 +/- 12.1 years (range; 12-56 years). Of 9 patients receiving p
henytoin (PHT) monotherapy, 3 (33.3%) had gingival hypertrophy; 15 of
18 (83.3%) patients receiving PHT in combination with phenobarbital (P
B) manifested the disorder. Traumatized anterior teeth were found in 2
6 (46.4%) patients with the males significantly more affected than fem
ales (p = 0.02). When the dental treatment needs were considered, 24 (
42.9%) patients required dental prophylaxis with oral hygiene instruct
ion, and an equal number required various types of restorative treatme
nts. Only 13 patients (23.2%) had previously visited a dental clinic;
the 43 (76.8%) who had never sought dental treatment claimed they did
not see any need for it. Conclusions: Our study showed an increased pr
edilection to anterior dental injuries in patients with epilepsy as co
mpared with the prevalence earlier reported for those without epilepsy
in Nigeria (p = 0.00). There is a clear need for effective interactio
n between medical and dental practitioners in the management of epilep
sy.