Recognizing and caring for the medically compromised child: 2. Haematological disorders

Abstract

Haematological disease in his/her patients is of particular relevance to the dental surgeon; the diagnostic signs and symptoms may be manifest in the mouth, and patients with haematological disorders must be managed carefully. This paper, the second in a series on recognizing and caring for medically compromised children, provides a simple classification of the haematological diseases affecting children that a dental practitioner is likely to encounter. In it, the diagnostic features, including oral manifestations, of these disorders are described and current 'best practice' in the management of both general and oral signs and symptoms is discussed. The implications of the general management of haematological disease to dentistry are also discussed.