Oral health in children with asthma

Introduction. It has been suggested that asthmatic patients may have a higher risk for oral diseases, both as a result of the medical condition and effects of medications. Objective. The aim of the study was to determine the oral health status of children with asthma and to evaluate the oral health parameters according to the medications and severity of the disease. Methods. The study group consisted of 158 children with asthma and 100 healthy control subjects aged 2-18 years. The diagnosis of dental caries was performed using the Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth (DMFT/dmft) criteria. The oral hygiene, periodontal status and gingival health were assessed with the Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (Greene-Vermillion), Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs and Gingival Index (Löe-Silness), respectively. Results. Thirty (19%) patients with asthma and 43 (43%) healthy children were caries-free (p