1040H
Fig. 15.19 Compound odontome in the
upper left canine region.1041H
Fig. 15.20 Central giant-cell
granuloma in a 9-year-old girl.15.4 ORAL MANIFESTATIONS OF SYSTEMIC DISEASE
In addition to specific pathological oral conditions, diseases that affect other systems
of the body can produce oral manifestations, for example, Crohn's disease. In
addition, disorders such as chronic renal failure and diabetes can predispose to
periodontal disease and there may be poor resistance to the spread of odontogenic
infection.
It is not only the oral soft tissues that are affected by systemic conditions. The
temporomandibular joint can be involved in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and the jaws
can be affected in hyperparathyroidism (giant-cell tumours). In some cases an oral
condition may be the presenting feature of a systemic disease and dental practitioners
should not hesitate to refer children with abnormal oral signs for further investigation.