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Sweetened medicines and hospitalization: caries risk factors in children with and without special needs

L Pomarico1, I P R Souza, L F Rangel Tura

  • 1Dept. of Paediatric Dentistry, Veiga de Almeida University, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. lupomarico@superig.com.br

European Journal of Paediatric Dentistry
|January 24, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Children with special needs exhibit poor oral hygiene, particularly when taking medication or during hospitalization. This highlights critical areas for intervention to improve pediatric oral health outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Dentistry
  • Public Health
  • Caries Risk Assessment

Background:

  • Hospitalization and medication use are significant factors influencing children's oral hygiene.
  • Children with special needs often require specialized care and may face increased oral health challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate caries risk factors, including medicine consumption and oral hygiene practices, in hospitalized children with and without special needs.
  • To compare medicine use patterns and oral hygiene habits between children with and without special needs during hospitalization.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study involving 116 children with special needs (G1) and 86 children without special needs (G2) from a Brazilian public day nursery.
  • Data collection via pre-tested forms and guardian interviews, with statistical analysis using EPI INFO 6.04d (Fisher Exact, Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis, Chi-square tests).

Main Results:

  • Children with special needs (G1) had a significantly longer average medication use duration (24.5 months) compared to children without special needs (G2) (7.2 months) (p=0.0009).
  • A majority of children did not brush their teeth after taking medication (especially at night), and 81.6% reported no tooth brushing during hospitalization.
  • Over half the sample (61.9%) had been hospitalized, with children with special needs showing a higher prevalence of frequent hospitalizations.

Conclusions:

  • Poor oral hygiene practices are prevalent among children, particularly those with special needs, during medication intake and hospitalization.
  • Interventions focusing on improving oral hygiene during hospitalization and medication administration are crucial for children with special needs.
Abstract

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