Prevalence of developmental defects of enamel in children and adolescents with asthma.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of developmental defects of enamel (DDEs) in relation to asthma severity, symptom onset and pharmacological treatment in pediatric asthma patients.


METHODS
Children and adolescents (68 asthma patients and 68 controls), 5-15 years of age and residents of the city of Londrina, Brazil, were enrolled in the study. Medical and dental histories were collected through the use of a structured questionnaire. Each participant underwent a dental examination in which the examiner employed the DDE index.


RESULTS
Of the 68 asthma group subjects, 61 (89.7%) presented dental enamel defects, compared with only 26 (38.2%) of those in the control group. Using multivariate logistic regression analysis, we estimated the risk of DDEs in permanent dentition to be 11 times higher in pediatric subjects with asthma than in those without (OR = 11.88, p = 0.0001). The occurrence of dental enamel defects correlated with greater asthma severity (p = 0.0001) and earlier symptom onset (p = 0.0001). However, dental enamel defects did not correlate with the initiation of treatment (p = 0.08) or the frequency of medication use (p = 0.93).


CONCLUSIONS
Pediatric patients with severe, early-onset asthma are at increased risk of dental enamel defects and therefore require priority dental care.
Guergolette
Rodrigho Pelisson
RP
Londrina State University, Londrina, Brazil.
Dezan
Cássia Cilene
CC
Frossard
Wanda Terezinha Garbelini
WT
Ferreira
Flaviana Bombarda de Andrade
FB
Cerci Neto
Alcindo
A
Fernandes
Karen Barros Parron
KB
D000293:Adolescent; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017668:Age of Onset; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003743:Dental Enamel / Q000002:abnormalities*; D003744:Dental Enamel Hypoplasia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents