Abstract Background Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by skin and mucosal fragility, leading to significant oral health challenges due to mucosal blisters, pain, up to microstomia and ankyloglossia in severe cases. This retrospective study aimed to assess oral health in EB patients compared to a healthy control group to develop tailored dental protocols. Methods Medical records and panoramic x-rays of EB patients ( n = 40) treated at the Center for Dental Medicine, University Medical Center Freiburg (2014–2024), were analyzed and compared to a healthy control group ( n = 40) with similar age- and gender distribution. Oral health was evaluated using DMFT/dmft index and treatment data including extractions and fillings. Statistical analysis was performed using the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test (α = 0.05). Results 37 EB patients (median (25–75%) age: 10 (5;17) years) and 37 controls (median age: 9 (5;16) years) were included after three exclusions each. EB patients exhibited significantly higher DMFT/dmft scores ( p < 0.0001), more carious teeth ( p < 0.0001), resulting in more tooth extractions ( p < 0.0001) compared to the control group. Conclusions EB patients had significantly higher caries burden and required more extractions compared to controls. The findings of this study highlight the necessity of specific dental interventions emphasizing preventive care.
Stocker et al. (Fri,) studied this question.