Possible effects of chemical weapons used in Halabja martyr city at 16th march 1988 on developing oral and dental tissues

A. Abdulkareem, Saeed; T. Garib, Balkees; A. Mahmood, Mohammed

	Possible effects of chemical weapons used in Halabja martyr city at 16th march 1988 on developing oral and dental tissues
Journal of baghdad college of dentistry
Article 1, Volume 22, Issue 1, 2010, Pages 25-30
Authors
Saeed A. Abdulkareem; Balkees T. Garib; Mohammed A. Mahmood
Abstract
ABSTRACTBackground: The development of oral and dental tissue is a complex process regulated by genes that are verysensitive to disturbances in the environment. Although many studies were conducted in different parts of Iraq,Halabja city is different; it had been subjected to chemical weapons in 1988, that if not produce death, it isexpected to produce developmental anomalies.Methods and methods: A total of 457 persons were selected and divided to include 3 age groups, those born before1971 (control group), those who were in utero during 1988 (group2), and those born in 1993 in Halabja city (group3).Full extra-oral and intra-oral examination was carried out to diagnose any existing anomalies.Results: Oro-dental anomalies were associated with history of parents’ exposure to chemical weapons (r = 0.3); nosex difference was detected. Clinically missing teeth and retained deciduous teeth were the predominantanomalies(11%) and correlated with history of parents’ exposure to chemical weapons predominantly in group2(r=0.24). Enamel hypoplasia and local enamel opacities observed in 9.85%; macroglossia, fissured tongue, andankyloglossia were seen in 6.13%.Conclusion: History of the exposure to chemical weapons effects teeth number, structure, and tongue anomalies.Clinically missing teeth and retained deciduous teeth were the predominant anomalies.Key words: Halabja city, chemical weapons, developmental anomalies. J Bagh Coll Dentistry 2010; 22(1):25-30.

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