Dental Case Study

The patient in the case that is presented is a Latino male just over 13 years old. He has sickle cell anemia, and suffers from an intellectual disability. This paper reviews the case study from a dental health perspective.

What is sickle cell anemia? The genesis of this disease is found within the abnormal hemoglobin in the blood stream; the red blood cells that carry oxygen throughout the body change shape when the individual has sickle cell anemia. Hemoglobin S. has the effect of changing the shape of the red blood cells so that they become "…fragile, sickle-shaped" and they bring less oxygen to the tissues of the body (National Library of Medicine). Moreover, the shape of the changed red blood cells means that cells can become "stuck more easily in small blood vessels" and they also break into many pieces which of course reduces the amount...
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