Study Of Supportive Dental Care For Bone-Marrow And Peripheral Blood Stem-Cell Transplant Patients T. H. Krahwinkel*, A.Pistorius, B. Willershausen, K. Kolbe (1) (Policlinic For Conservative Dentistry; 1: Medical Clinic And Policlinic III, Hematology Department) Pre-existing inflammatory conditions in the oro-facial system can lead to bacteriemia, and life-threatening exacerbations, among patients subject to bone-marrow transplantation (BMT) or peripheral blood stem-cell transplantation (PBSCT), in view of immune suppression required in these procedures. In order to avoid these complications so far as possible, dental examinations and focused care are required. The aim of the present interdisciplinary study was to illustrate and critically examine these treatment methods and compare the dental and periodontal findings of a group of BMT/PBSCT patients with a healthy group.   A total of 57 patients scheduled for BMT or PBSCT therapy were provided with examinations, including both clinical findings and radiological studies (OPG, RINN-status), before and after their treatments. A further 50 healthy patients, selected at random, with an appropriate age and gender distribution, were also provided with a dental examination. The findings for the two groups of patients were subsequently compared. Overall the focus of the examinations was on pre-existing chronic inflammatory conditions, since these represented a possible source of danger to the hematology patients.   For 94.5% of the hematology patients and 94.2% of the control group, no non-vital teeth were found. 6.25% of the patients in the hematology group had teeth with Mobility Grade I, 3.7% teeth with Mobility Grade II, and 0.8% teeth at Grade III. The findings for the control group were basically similar: 9.12% had teeth at Mobility Grade I, 3.2% teeth at Grade II, and 0.37% teeth at Grade III. Overall, 48.01% of the hematology group and 51.62% of the control patients were found to have pathological pockets depth measurements. 2.85% of the hematology patients, before transplantation therapy, had adequate root-canal fillings, 1.5% had apical changes, and 2.05% retained teeth or root remains. For the control group, the figures were 2.85% with adequate root-canal fillings, 1.45% apical changes, and 0.27% retained teeth or root remains.   For all the hematology patients, therapy recommendations were made to treat pre-existing chronic sources of inflammation. In spite of this, and chiefly because of the limited time available before the hematological therapy, none of these patients had the recommended measures performed before their transplantation therapy. All patients did receive a professional tooth cleaning, however.   Though the hematology patients did not receive the recommended dental treatments, in no case were we able to establish any dentogenic or periodontogenic complications.