Radiographic assessment of the alveolar bone height in children and adolescents with familial dysautonomia

Purpose: Familial dysautonomia (FD) is a progressive neuropathy, characterized by somatic and skeletal abnormalities, and by a variety of oral and diet disturbances. The purpose of the study was to assess the alveolar bone height at the molar areas of children and adolescents with FD. Methods: The distance from the cemento-enamel junction (CEJ) to the alveolar bone crest (ABC) was measured on routine diagnostic bitewing radiographs of nine males and seven females with FD (mean age=122 months) and in those of two matching groups (C1=119 months; C2=122 months). Results: The mean values for the maxilla were significantly larger than those in the mandible. A positive significant correlation was found between the CEJ-ABC measurements of the primary and the permanent teeth, and between the CEJ-ABC measurements and age. The mean values per patient for the CEJ-ABC distances of the FD group were smaller than the control groups, but the difference was not statistically significant. The CEJ-ABC measurements in the primary and the permanent molars were smaller in the FD group, and in the premolars and permanent cuspids they were larger than those in the two control groups. These differences were not statistically significant. No differences were found between the FD and the control groups in the primary cuspids. Conclusions: The alveolar bone height of children and adolescent with familial dysautonomia does not differ from that of healthy controls.