Use of asthma-drugs and risk of dental caries among 5 to 7 year old Danish children: a cohort study.
OBJECTIVE
To estimate the risk of dental caries in 5-7 year old Danish children who received prescriptions for asthma-drugs.


METHODS
Population-based cohort-study based on data from a prescription registry and dental database. Setting The County of North Jutland, Denmark.


METHODS
4,920 children born in 1993, and followed to the end of 2000. Main outcome measures Dental caries in primary canines and molars, and permanent teeth.


RESULTS
Between the age 3 and 5 years 30.4% of the children received one or more prescriptions for asthma-drugs compared to 18.8% between 5 and 7 years of age. Children often received two or more drugs in combination. Approximately 6% of the children received both inhaled cortico-steroids and inhaled beta2-agonists between 3 and 7 years of age. No increased risk of caries could be shown in the primary teeth, while the relative risk of caries in the permanent teeth was estimated at 1.45 (95% C.I.: 0.99-2.11) in children who received prescriptions of both inhaled beta2-agonists and corticosteroids between 5 and 7 years. Of the 169 children who received prescriptions of both inhaled beta2-agonists and cortico-steroids between the ages of 3 and 7 years, the relative risk was estimated at 1.62 (95% C.I.: 1.03-2.56).


CONCLUSIONS
Asthma-drugs may increase the risk of caries in newly erupted permanent molars.
Department of Community Oral Health and Pediatric Dentistry, Dental School, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Aarhus, Denmark.
Pia
P
Wogelius
Sven
S
Poulsen
Henrik Toft
HT
Sørensen
D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000318:Adrenergic beta-Agonists / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000367:Age Factors; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003481:Cuspid / Q000473:pathology; D004245:DMF Index; D003718:Denmark; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000209:etiology; D003733:Dental Caries Susceptibility; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008963:Molar / Q000473:pathology; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012307:Risk Factors; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous / Q000473:pathology
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D000318:Adrenergic beta-Agonists; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents; D004338:Drug Combinations