Healthy Dental Pulp Oxygen Saturation Rates in Subjects with Homozygous Sickle Cell Anemia: A Cross-Sectional Study Nested in a Cohort.

INTRODUCTION: To compare the percentage of arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2 ) in healthy teeth with confirmed pulp vitality between individuals with sickle cell anemia (HbSS) and normal hemoglobin A (HbAA).

METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study nested within a cohort. Samples (n = 2543) comprised teeth with intact crowns and pulp vitality confirmed by thermal sensitivity tests and no history of caries, periodontal disease, or dental trauma. A total of 728 teeth of 113 individuals with HbSS and 1815 teeth of 246 individuals with HbAA were evaluated. Data analysis was performed using the χ2 and Mann-Whitney tests and Spearman correlation analysis (α = 0.05).

RESULTS: The study groups were comparable in terms of age, race, and sex (P > .05). Subjects with HbSS exhibited lower median SpO2 levels in the body and upper teeth, excluding canines, than subjects with HbAA (P < .05). There were no significant differences in the evaluated parameters between the 2 groups (P > .05).

CONCLUSION: Compared with individuals with HbAA, those with HbSS exhibited lower SpO2 in maxillary teeth with confirmed pulp vitality, except in the canines. There was no correlation between SpO2 levels of the body and dental pulp in individuals with HbSS or HbAA.