Impact of inhaler use on dental caries in asthma pediatrics patients: A case-control study.

Abstract

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease that is highly prevalent among pediatric patients. The results about the effect of asthma on the rate of dental caries are contradictory. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of dental caries in asthma pediatric patients using inhaled drugs. Case-control study in a sample made up of pediatric patients who attended Centro Médico Naval "Cirujano Mayor Santiago Távara" between December 2014 and March 2015. Patients were divided into two groups: group A (cases) included asthma patients using inhalers as part of their treatment; group B (controls), healthy subjects who attended the same facility. A medical examination was done to determine the type, time, and frequency of treatment and an oral exam, to establish the prevalence of dental caries and the decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) index. The prevalence of dental caries was 34.2 % in the control group and 28.3 % in the case group (p = 0.094). In relation to the rate of dental caries, the DMFT index in the control group was 4.73 ± 0.32, and 3.98 ± 0.31 in the case group (p = 0.08). However, it was evidenced that a longer duration of inhaler use led to a significantly higher DMFT index (p = 0.04). Inhaled drugs do not increase the prevalence of dental caries in asthma pediatric patients. However, there is a direct relationship between treatment duration and the prevalence of dental caries.