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Oral health among children with congenital heart defects in Western Norway
T B Sivertsen1, J Aßmus2, G Greve3,4,5
1Department of Clinical Dentistry, University of Bergen, Aarstadveien 19, NO-5020, Bergen, Norway. tine.sivertsen@ok.uib.no.
Insights
Children with congenital heart defects (CHD) have significantly higher caries prevalence than the general population, indicating a need for improved dental care. Oral health issues in this group may pose risks for systemic health.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Dentistry
- Cardiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Congenital heart defects (CHD) require lifelong monitoring and can impact overall health.
- Oral health in children with CHD is understudied, yet crucial for their well-being.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe oral health status in 5-year-old children with CHD.
- To assess associations between background variables and oral health in this cohort.
- To compare caries prevalence at the dentine level with the general population.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 100 children aged 5 with CHD in Western Norway.
- Comprehensive oral health examinations conducted between 2010-2012.
- Caries prevalence compared to a general population cohort of 18,974 five-year-olds.
Main Results:
- Caries prevalence at dentine level (d3-5mft) was 25.4% in children with CHD, significantly higher than the general population (18.3%).
- Erosion (50.7%) was more prevalent than caries (37.3%).
- A substantial portion (37.3%) had caries, erosion, or developmental defects of enamel, with unmet needs for operative and non-operative treatment.
Conclusions:
- Children with CHD exhibit a higher prevalence of dental caries and other oral health issues compared to their peers.
- The oral health status in over a third of these children may indicate risks for systemic health complications.
- Further research and targeted interventions are needed to address the oral health disparities in children with CHD.
Aim:
This was to describe oral health in children with congenital heart defects (CHD), to evaluate association of different background variables with oral health, and to compare caries prevalence at dentine level with caries data in the general population.
Methods:
In this cross-sectional study, 5-year-old children in Western Norway with a need for lifelong follow-up due to CHD were invited to participate (n = 100). Children born in 2005, 2006, and 2007 underwent a comprehensive oral health examination during the period 2010-2012. Caries prevalence at the dentine level was compared with data available for 5-year-old children from the general population of Western Norway (n = 18,974).
Results:
The response rate was 67 %. Caries prevalence in children with CHD at d1-5mft was 37.3 % and at d3-5mft 25.4 %. Few children (n = 4) had experienced fillings, indicating an unmet need for operative treatment. Enamel lesions (d1-2s) exceeded dentine lesions (d3-5s) in the study group, 60 % versus 40 %, indicating a significant need of non-operative treatment. At dentine level, caries prevalence in children with CHD was significantly higher than in children in the general population (25.4 versus 18.3 %). Erosion was more prevalent than caries (50.7 versus 37.3 %). In total, 37.3 % of all children had d3-5mfs caries, erosion (grades 3 or 4), developmental defects of enamel (DDE) with post-eruptive breakdown of enamel and exposure into dentine, or combinations of the diagnoses. Investigated background factors did not significantly affect caries, erosion, or DDE.
Conclusion:
More than a third of the children with CHD were found to have an oral health status that may imply risk for systemic hazardous effects.
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