Late adverse effects of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia treatment on developing dentition

Background Childhood cancer survivors show a variety of late adverse effects on dental health. The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence and severity of dental abnormalities in permanent dentition in childhood leukemia survivors. Materials and methods Retrospective analysis of panoramic radiographs was performed for 178 childhood leukemia survivors aged below 17 years at the time of diagnosis. Sex, age at diagnosis, interval between ALL diagnosis and the follow‐up radiograph, treatment protocol, and risk grouping were recorded. Abnormalities of tooth development and defect index were used to assess the frequency and severity of dental abnormalities. Results One hundred eight (61%) patients had no dental abnormalities at follow‐up examination at a median of 6.1 years after diagnosis. Microdontia was more frequent in children under 6 years of age at the time of diagnosis (5.7% vs. 0.6%, p