Oral health management of a patient with 47,XYY syndrome

The 47,XYY syndrome is an aneuploidy (abnormal number) of sex chromosomes, where a human male receives an extra Y chromosome, making 47 chromosomes instead of the usual 46. Individuals with 47,XYY are usually physically normal and tend to be tall and thin. They are not at increased risk of mental retardation and cardiovascular diseases. They may have speech delay, hyperactivity and normal/decreased IQ level. Behavioural problems are not common in 47,XYY individuals. There have been reports that suggest the tooth-size increase in 47,XYY males is due to a direct genetic effect. The patient presented with multiple over-retained deciduous, unerupted permanent teeth and increased incidence of carious lesions may be attributed to decreased oral hygiene maintenance. The present article describes the medical and dental history along with the clinical management of oral health issues in an 18-year-old male patient with 47,XYY syndrome having normal physical structure and development. Copyright 2013 BMJ Publishing Group. All rights reserved.