Caries prevalence, caries-related factors and plaque pH in adolescents with long-term asthma.
The aim of the present case-control study was to investigate dental caries, various caries-related factors as well as gingival condition, in 12- to 16-year-olds with long-term asthma (n = 20) and a matched healthy control group (n = 20). Data on dietary and oral hygiene habits, numbers of mutans streptococci and lactobacilli in saliva were also obtained. The plaque pH drop after a sucrose rinse was measured up to 40 min at 2 approximal tooth sites. A lower salivary flow rate was found in the asthma group compared to the control group (p < 0.05). The mean (± SD) of DFS, including manifest and initial caries, was 4.9 ± 5.5 in the asthma and 1.4 ± 2.3 (p < 0.01) in the control group. Only 1 adolescent in the asthma group was caries free compared to 13 in the control group. Concerning pH in plaque, adolescents with asthma had a lower initial value (p < 0.01) and final pH (p < 0.05) than the control group. The Cariogram data showed that 55% of the subjects in the control group had 'a high chance of avoiding caries' compared to 10% in the asthma group (p < 0.01). The asthmatic adolescents had higher numbers of sites with gingival bleeding (p < 0.01). To conclude, adolescents with long-term asthma had a higher total DFS and caries risk (according to Cariogram), decreased salivary rate, more gingival bleeding and lower plaque pH than adolescents without asthma.
Department of Paediatric Dentistry, Institute for Postgraduate Dental Education, Jönköping, Sweden.
M
M
Stensson
L-K
LK
Wendt
G
G
Koch
G
G
Oldaeus
P
P
Lingström
D
D
Birkhed
D000293:Adolescent; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000150:complications*; D003732:Dental Caries Activity Tests; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000737:chemistry / Q000150:complications*; D003774:Dental Plaque Index; D005260:Female; D005891:Gingivitis / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008297:Male; D016555:Matched-Pair Analysis; D009911:Oral Hygiene Index; D012016:Reference Values; D012307:Risk Factors; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents