Feb 28th is rare disease day in calendar of health promotion days. A disease is considered to be rare when the number of people affected is less than 1 per 2,000. There are more than 7,000 rare diseases, most of them with a genetic basis. A very rough estimate would be that one out of 15person worldwide could be affected by a rare disease-400 million people worldwide, of whom 3 million in Canada. Rare disease are serious chronic diseases, and may be life –threating.

Nearly two-thirds of Canadians with rare diseases are children and about half will have no known previous history of a rare disease. Families with rare illnesses face extraordinary challenges, including misdiagnoses, unnecessary surgeries, social isolation, financial hardship, lack of treatment options and early death.

Of 7000 rare diseases 900 of them have Oro-dental manifestations. Cherubism, Hypophosphatasia, Cyclic neutropenia, Nephrotic syndrome, Ectodermal dysplasia, Porphyria, Fibrous dysplasia, Basal cell nevus syndrome and Hand-Schuller-Christian disease are few of that long list that the dentist may be the first to detect the early signs and symptoms.

That why it’s recommended that first visit to the dentist be six month after eruption of first teeth and not later than first birthday.