Open AccessAssessment of Dental Status and Oral Health Status in Children with Congenital Heart Diseases
Author(s) -
Sreenita Chowdhury,
Bipin K. Srivastava,
Saurabh Pujari,
Nidhi Gupta,
Rashi Singh,
Dinesh Kumar Yadav,
Mani Kalaivani,
Niwin George,
Sukhjeet Singh,
Ujjwal K. Chowdhury
Publication year - 2019
Language(s) - English
DOI - 10.36811/jcshd.2019.110008
Subject(s) - medicine , permanent dentition , dentition , dentistry , oral health , dental health , pediatrics , dental anomalies
Purpose: This study aims to identify the dental caries, decayed, missing, and filled teeth index (dmft/DMFT) scores amongst children with cyanotic, and acyanotic congenital heart diseases (CHD), compare with healthy controls and identify the risk factors for poor dental health.Methods: Between January 2016 and June 2017, 236 children aged 2 to 15 years (mean±SD=7.61±3.88 yrs, median 7 yrs) with CHD and 951 healthy children aged 2 to 15 years (mean±SD=8.83±7.34 yrs, median 9 yrs) were evaluated.Results: Children with CHD had more caries in their primary and permanent dentition (mean dmft: 2.42±3.82, cardiac group vs. 2.32±6.68, control group; p<0·05; mean DMFT: 2.15±3.38, cardiac group vs. 1.27±1.89, control group; p=0.002). The DMFT scores for children with CHD were higher in the rural areas. Children frequently consuming biscuits, confectionary and sugared milk had higher dmft±SD scores. The possibility of caries in permanent dentition was more in children with cyanotic CHD compared to acyanotic. Caries in primary dentition showed positive correlation with age.Conclusions: CHD is associated with poorer dental health in children. Close cooperation between pediatric cardiologists and pediatric dentists is warranted to raise awareness, prevent and institute early treatment for dental ailments.