Long-term effects of syrup medications for recurrent otitis media on the dental health of 6- to 8-year-old children.
The dental response to repeated antimicrobial and antihistamine medications was studied by comparing the dental health of 64 adenoidectomized children 5 years after surgery to that of 212 untreated controls. Annual dental recordings starting from the age of 3 years were obtained from health care centers. As expected, the proportion of children who had several (> or = 11) syrup medications was significantly higher (p < 0.001) in the adenoidectomized than in the control group. Sucrose-containing syrup medications were prescribed twice as often for the children of the adenoidectomized as for the control group (p < 0.001). However, the average amount of antimicrobial syrup medications prescribed was 19.2 +/- (SD) 13.0 per child for the adenoidectomized as compared to 8.5 +/- 8.3 for the control children (p < 0.001). The dmf value of the adenoidectomized children at the age of 3 years (mean +/- SEM: 0.5 +/- 0.1) was significantly (p < 0.005) lower than that of the controls (1.1 +/- 0.2). The difference was still significant (p < 0.01) at the age of 4 years, but disappeared thereafter. In conclusion, the antibacterial syrup medication seemed to be associated with a significant decline in dental caries at first. The simultaneous use of antihistamines was, however, thought to delay normal tooth maturation, so that after discontinuation of the antimicrobial medication, accelerated formation of new carious lesions took place.
Karjalainen
S
S
Department of Pediatric Dentistry, University of Turku, Finland.
Rekola
M
M
Ståhlberg
M R
MR
D000233:Adenoidectomy; D000367:Age Factors; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002648:Child; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000209:etiology*; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005459:Fluorides / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006634:Histamine H1 Antagonists / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014677:Pharmaceutical Vehicles / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012008:Recurrence; D012923:Social Class; D013395:Sucrose / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D014099:Toothbrushing
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D006634:Histamine H1 Antagonists; D014677:Pharmaceutical Vehicles; D013395:Sucrose; D005459:Fluorides