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SUMMARY Thyroid hormones play an important role in the regulation of growth, development and metabolic functions of the body. Dental professionals evaluate and update their patients histories at each appointment. Among the items on the complex list of medical health concerns is thyroid disease. Thyroid problems are very common, and as thyroid gland affects almost every function of the body, professionals have to take precautionary measure when providing dental treatment to thyroid disease affected patients. Thyroid disease comprises a group of conditions that can affect the delivery of dental care. This article reviews several conditions where dental treatment has to be modified. The dentist can play a role in the screening of dental patients who have undiagnosed thyroid disease.
Key words: Thyroid diseases, dental treatment, alterations.
INTRODUCTION Thyroid disease is more common among females and is increasing in incidence.1 An estimated 15 percent of the general population show abnormalities of thyroid anatomy on physical examination.2 The thyroid gland is composed of a right lobe and a left lobe that sit anterolateral to the trachea. This review mainly fo- cuses on several modification of dental treatment required for a patient suffering from a known thyroid disease.
DISORDERS OF THYROID GLANDS Hyperthyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland releases too much of its hormones over a short (acute) or long (chronic) period of time.
The symptoms of hyperthyroidism are; a high state of excitability, intolerance to heat, increased sweating, mild to extreme weight loss, varying degrees of diar- rhea, muscle weakness, nervousness or psychic disor- ders, extreme fatigue but inability to sleep, and tremor of the hands. Most people with hyperthyroidism de- velop some degree of protrusion of the eyeballs called as Exophthalmos.3,5 The oral manifestation of thyrotoxicosis are increased susceptibility to caries, periodontal disease, enlargement of extraglandular thyroid tissue, maxillary or mandibular osteoporosis, accel- erated eruption of teeth, development of connec- tive-tissue diseases and burning mouth syndrome6 (Table 1).
Hypothyroidism is a condition in which the thyroid gland does not synthesize enough thyroid hormone. The most common cause of hypothyroidism is inflammation of the thyroid gland, which damages the gland's cells. Autoimmune or Hashimoto's thy- roiditis, in which the immune system attacks the thyroid gland, is the most common example. Some women develop hypothyroidism after pregnancy...