OBJECTIVE: To report a case of a child with tetralogy of Fallot and his oral conditions. CASE DESCRIPTION: A male patient was assisted at the Pediatric Dentristry Specialization Course of the Brazilian Dentistry Association in the State of Paraná, Brazil, from five to seven years old. At the first intrabucal examination, the child presented a severe caries disease. During their treatment, enamel developmental defects were detected in the first permanent molar tooth, with loss of enamel structure. His mother reported that the patient had a surgical correction of tetralogy of Fallot cardiac malformation when he was 23 months old. COMMENTS: The enamel development of the first molar starts in the first month of life and ends around two to four years old. In this patient, the period of mineralization of the first molar was coincident with the period prior to the surgical correction of the cardiac problem. Probably, the development of dental enamel was impaired by the systemic repercussion of this congenital anomaly. Enamel developmental defects can present loss of dental structure, increasing the risk of caries. Therefore, the pediatric dentists should diagnose dental enamel developmental defects early, in order to prevent serious damages to the teeth. A detailed anamnesis and a good interaction between pediatricians and pediatric dentists will provide a better follow-up of children at risk of having dental enamel developmental defects.
tetralogy of Fallot; dental enamel; oral health; child
