Premium
Asthma and tooth erosion. Is there an association?
Author(s) -
Dugmore C. R.,
Rock W. P.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
international journal of paediatric dentistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.183
H-Index - 62
eISSN - 1365-263X
pISSN - 0960-7439
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-263x.2003.00497.x
Subject(s) - medicine , asthma , cohort , medical prescription , incidence (geometry) , pediatrics , dental health , dentistry , family medicine , physics , optics , pharmacology
Summary. Objectives. To investigate whether there is an association between asthma and tooth erosion in a representative random sample of adolescents in the East Midlands. Methods. A random sample of 1753 12‐year‐old children was examined in all schools in Leicestershire and Rutland. 1308 children were re‐examined 2 years later. Tooth erosion was assessed using the index employed in the Children's Dental Health in the UK Survey 1993. Asthma presence was recorded on a self‐completed questionnaire at the time of the 12 years examination. Data on asthma prescribing over a one year period was obtained from the Prescription Pricing Authority. Results. Asthma was present in 16·8% of 12‐year‐olds. Tooth erosion was recorded in 59% of children with asthma and in 59·7% who were asthma free. There was no significant difference in erosion prevalence between asthmatics and asthma free in a cohort of children at age 12 or 14 years, and the incidence of erosion was 12·8% and 12·3%, respectively. 88% of drugs prescribed for treatment of asthma had a pH above the critical pH of 5·5. Conclusion. There was no association between asthma and tooth erosion. The majority of drugs prescribed for the treatment of asthma are not potentially erosive.