Background and Objectives: Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder in childhood. However, there are limited studies on its impact on the oral health of the affected children. Our study aims to assess the oral health of children with epilepsy in the city of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in three hospitals. We included 2-18 years old children with physician-confirmed epilepsy diagnosis. We assessed the dental status and the perceived need for dental care using a standardized questionnaire that was filled by the mothers. To adjust identify for potential confounding variables, we used univariate and multivariate logistic regression.Results: We included 96 children with epilepsy in our study. Their mean age was 6.4 years (SD= 3.4). In 55.2% (n= 53) the teeth status was rated as bad and in 84.4% (n= 81) a need for dental care was expressed. Cerebral palsy (OR= 5.06; 95%-CI: 1.28 - 19.99; p= 0.021); motor disability (OR= 6.41; 95%-CI: 1.12 – 36.73; p 0.037); referral from a neuropediatric clinic to a dentist (OR= 10.755; Cl: 3.290 – 35.151; p<0.001); and irregular brushing of teeth (OR= 5.397; Cl: 1.536 – 18.961; p=0.009) were significantly associated with increased risk of bad teeth status. Perception of the child as being overweight (OR= 0.117; Cl: 0.034 – 0.400; p=0.001) was significantly associated with decreased risk of bad teeth status. Motor disability (OR= 5.73; 95%-CI: 1.64 – 20.04; p= 0.006) was significantly associated with increased perceived need for dental care.

Conclusion and Recommendations: In the majority of epileptic children, the perceived teeth status was bad and there was a high need for dental care. Interventions to improve the dental health of epileptic children should focus on those with cerebral palsy and motor disability.