Evaluation of the Oral Health Status of Children with Asthma: A Cross‑Sectional Study

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Oral and Dental Diseases Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran

2 Department of Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran

3 Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Zahedan, Iran

4 Lung Diseases Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

5 Faculty of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran

Abstract

Background: The asthma–caries relationship is inconsistent. We compared oral health in children with and without asthma.
Methods: This study included 33 children with asthma and 33 age‑matched healthy controls (aged 5–11 years). A trained dental student collected data on oral hygiene, mouth breathing, parental education/occupation, and body mass index (BMI) from participants via a questionnaire. Asthma control was evaluated with the Childhood Asthma Control Test questionnaire (C‑ACT; validated for ages 4–11), administered to the asthma group. The dental student then performed oral examinations using the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria (dmft for primary teeth ≤ 9 y; DMFT for permanent teeth > 9 y). A generalized linear model was used to assess the association between asthma and overall DMFT.
Results: The groups had identical mean age (7.82 ± 1.76 years) and similar sex distributions (asthma: 75.8% male; control: 81.8% male). Uncontrolled asthma (C‑ACT < 19) affected 93.9% of patients. Mouth breathing was more prevalent among those with asthma (57.6%, φ = 0.41, P = 0.001). Unadjusted DMFT was higher in asthma (4.72 ± 3.28 vs.0.73 ± 1.01; Mann‑Whitney test, r = 0.64, P < 0.001). After adjustment, asthma remained independently associated with a 3.62‑point higher overall DMFT (95% CI = 2.00 to 5.24, P < 0.001); significant covariates were mother’s education, materia alba and dental plaque, and BMI (P < 0.05). A control outlier (DMFT = 4) did not influence the findings. C‑ACT score did not correlate with DMFT (ρ = 0.20, P = 0.261), and DMFT did not differ across medication categories (P > 0.05).
Conclusion: Asthma was independently associated with higher dental caries, possibly mediated by mouth breathing, but causality remains uncertain. Non‑significant associations between severity and medication, as well as unmeasured salivary factors, warrant caution. Longitudinal studies are needed.

Keywords

Main Subjects


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