ORAL HEALTH STATUS OF A GROUP OF ASTHMATIC CHILDREN IN ALEXANDRIA, EGYPT (CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY)

AIM: To evaluate and compare dental caries, erosion, dental plaque, and gingival health status between a group of asthmatic and non-asthmatic children in Alexandria, Egypt.METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 88 children were selected according to the inclusion criteria. Participating children were divided equally into two groups: Group I, the study group, consisted of 44 children diagnosed with asthma, and Group II, 44 non-asthmatic children. Data were gathered through a questionnaire and clinical examination. The questionnaire focused on demographic information, oral hygiene behaviors, and asthma history. The WHO index measured the caries experience: deft for primary teeth and DMFT for permanent dentition. Erosion was determined by the Basic Erosive Wear Examination (BEWE index), dental plaque was measured by the Silness and Loe plaque scoring index (PLI), and gingival health by the Löe and Silness gingival inflammation index(GI). The data was analyzed and compared between the two groups.RESULTS: Asthmatic children showed significantly lower deft scores (median = 3.5, IQR = 4.7) compared to healthy children (median = 7, IQR = 5) (p ≤ 0.01), while DMFS showed no significant difference between the groups (p = 0.51). Dental erosion was significantly higher in asthmatic children (p ≤ 0.02), while the plaque and gingival indices scores showed no significant difference between the two groups (p = 0.43 & 0.12 respectively).CONCLUSIONS: Asthmatic children showed more erosive and less carious lesions than non-asthmatic children and no difference regarding dental plaque accumulation and gingival health.