Abstract
Objective: To evaluate the oral health conditions of hospitalized children, as well as describe the knowledge and practices of oral health care adopted by their parents/guardians. Material and Methods: The sample was composed of 46 children who had been hospitalized for at least five days, who had erupted teeth in the oral cavity and were accompanied by their parents/guardians. Information was collected in relation to: the oral health status of children (DMFT/DEF), the socioeconomic profile and access to information on health and oral hygiene of the parents/guardians and data regarding the hospitalization of the children. The data were analyzed using the Fisher, Pearson's and Mann Whitney's Chi-squared tests, with a confidence level of 95%. Results: 47.8% of the hospitalized children had experienced caries, and the most relevant component for the determination of the experience of caries was the presence of decayed teeth (0.50 to 1.94). A total of 97.8% of parents/guardians said they had not received information on oral health and hygiene, 100.0% had not received guidance on the sugar contained in medicines or the salivary decrease caused by the medications. 34.8% of the children did not perform oral hygiene during hospitalization. According to medical records, 58.7% took liquid medication orally. Conclusion: The hospitalized children had precarious oral health conditions, with the occurrence of carious lesions of the teeth. The presence of risk factors for dental caries in hospitalized children was observed (poor oral hygiene, low schooling and income of parents/guardians, limited knowledge of parents/guardians regarding health care and oral hygiene, consumption of medicines with cariogenic potential).
Highlights
During hospitalization, a child is subjected to a number of factors that differ from their normal routine and can negatively affect their oral health
Children who continuously take medications containing sucrose in a liquid or chewable tablet form are at risk of developing dental caries if oral hygiene is not performed following the administering of the drug [3]
When the oral hygiene habits during hospitalization of 46 children were analyzed, it was found that 34.8% did not perform oral hygiene when in hospital (Table 1)
Summary
A child is subjected to a number of factors that differ from their normal routine and can negatively affect their oral health. In addition to systemic vulnerability related to the development of oral pathologies, determinants of dental caries and periodontal disease exist in the hospital routine and become more significant with longer periods of hospitalization [1]. These factors refer to the drastic change in meal times and eating habits, the introduction of cariogenic medications into the daily routine, the stress caused by hospitalization, an unwillingness to perform oral hygiene caused by illness and staying in a different environment than usual [2]. Hospitalization should encourage health, not the neglecting of oral health or the health of any other area of the body [5]
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