The National Marfan Foundation (NMF) now offers information about the dental and orthodontic issues related to the Marfan syndrome on its web site, https://www.marfan.org.
The Marfan syndrome is a potentially life-threatening genetic disorder that affects the body’s connective tissue. It may affect the eyes, skeleton, blood vessels and heart. More than 200,000 Americans have the Marfan syndrome or a related disorder.
Connective tissue is present throughout the entire skeleton, including the bones in the face and mouth. As a result of the Marfan syndrome which affects a specific type of connective tissue, there may be changes in the jaw and palate that affect the teeth and their function.
“Many people with the Marfan syndrome do not know that they have the disorder, but they may be visiting a dentist or orthodontist for treatment of the specific dental aspects. In these cases, it is important for the dentist or orthodontist to combine their observation of the face and mouth with their knowledge of other outward physical signs of the Marfan syndrome and to refer a suspicious patient to appropriate specialists for further evaluation,” said Sylvia A. Frazier-Bowers DDS, PhD, School of Dentistry, Department of Orthodontics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, an orthodontist and molecular geneticist who consulted with the NMF’s Professional Advisory Board on the development of the material.
On the web site, dentists and orthodontists can read about:
C The characteristics of the Marfan syndrome, including a high-arched palate, crowding of the dental arches and skeletal class II malocclusion, which cause dental and orthodontic problems.
C How dental and orthodontic issues are treated differently in patients with the Marfan syndrome.
C Special considerations for Marfan syndrome patients, such as the need for endocarditis prophylaxis.
C Which specialists a patient should be referred to by a dentist or orthodontist if the Marfan syndrome is suspected, but not yet diagnosed.
C A newly identified genetic disorder, Loeys-Dietz syndrome, which is related to Marfan syndrome. Dental professionals should be aware of one of the hallmarks of this disorder, a bifid uvula. A cleft palate is another characteristic associated with Loeys-Dietz syndrome.
Dental and Orthodontic Concerns can be found on the NMF web site under Living with Marfan Syndrome. This material is part of the NMF’s medical education initiative, which focuses on the many body systems affected by the Marfan syndrome and other issues related to the diagnosis and treatment of the disorder.
For additional information on the Marfan syndrome, visit the NMF’s web site at https://www.marfan.org or call the Foundation toll-free at 800-8-MARFAN.