The oral health of individuals with haemophilia: a review of the literature.

This paper reviews the available evidence on the oral health of individuals with haemophilia and discusses the relevance of the findings for New Zealand. A comprehensive literature search was completed using the inclusion criteria that study participants were individuals with Haemophilia A or B and that a measure of their prevalence, severity or incidence of an oral condition or state was described. Eleven studies, all cross-sectional in design, were found to meet these criteria. Aspects of caries, periodontal health, enamel defects (including fluorosis), malocclusion, temporomandibular joint disorders and oral health-related quality of life were described in those papers. Seven papers compared the study sample with a comparison ("control") sample. No studies had been conducted in New Zealand. Generally, individuals with haemophilia were found to have worse oral health than controls. However, the quality of many of the papers was poor and their heterogeneous nature makes comparison of their findings difficult. The oral health of individuals with haemophilia in New Zealand is likely to be influenced by a complicated interaction of government policies, availability of care and personal prejudices. Better-quality research on the oral health of individuals with haemophilia and their barriers to oral healthcare is needed.