title: Dental caries status and salivary properties of asthmatic children and adolescents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to investigate the dental caries status and salivary properties in 3- to 15-year-old children/adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample was split in two groups: asthma group (AG), composed of 65 patients who attended Public Health Service; asthma-free group (AFG), composed of 65 nonasthmatic children/adolescents recruited in two public schools. Stimulated salivary samples were collected for 3 min. Buffering capacity and pH were ascertained in each salivary sample. A single trained and calibrated examiner (kappa = 0.98) performed the dental caries examination according to WHO criteria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The AFG showed salivary flow rate (1.10 ± 0.63 mL/min) higher (P = 0.002) than AG (0.80 ± 0.50 mL/min). An inverse relationship was observed between asthma severity and salivary flow rate (Phi coefficient, rφ: 0.79, P = 0.0001). Children with moderate or severe asthma showed an increased risk for reduced salivary flow rate (OR: 17.15, P < 0.001). No association was observed between drug use frequency (P > 0.05) and drug type (P > 0.05) with salivary flow rate. Buffering capacity was similar in both groups. No significant differences were encountered in dental caries experience between AFG and AG groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although asthma can cause reduction in flow rate, the illness did not seem to influence dental caries experience in children with access to proper dental care.
authors.affiliation: School of Dentistry, University of Northern Parana-UNOPAR, Londrina, Paraná, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mônica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Paganini
authors.forename: Cássia Cilene
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Dezan
authors.forename: Thiago Rodrigo
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Bichaco
authors.forename: Flaviana Bombarda
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: de Andrade
authors.forename: Alcindo Cerci
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Neto
authors.forename: Karen Barros Parron
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Fernandes
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D018401:Sample Size; D012636:Secretory Rate