The Association Between Long-Term Corticosteroids Use and Dental Caries: A Systematic Review

Area of Science:

• Oral Health
• Pharmacology
• Clinical Research

Background:

• Corticosteroids (CSs) are widely used for inflammatory and immune conditions.
• Long-term CSs use is linked to oral health issues like periodontal disease and dental caries.
• Understanding the specific impact of CSs on dental caries prevalence is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the prevalence of dental caries in patients undergoing corticosteroid therapy.
• To synthesize existing evidence on the relationship between CSs use and dental caries.
• To identify specific CSs formulations associated with increased caries risk.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature review was conducted using PubMed and Cochrane databases.
• Search strategy employed PICO framework (Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome) with keywords 'steroids' and 'caries'.
• Data from 21 eligible studies (2001-2023) were analyzed, focusing on DMFT/DMFS scores.

Main Results:

• Out of 1,206 initially identified articles, 21 were included in the final analysis.
• Fourteen studies indicated an increased prevalence of dental caries associated with CSs use.
• Seven studies did not find a significant association between CSs use and caries prevalence.

Conclusions:

• Current evidence suggests a correlation between chronic corticosteroid use and an elevated risk of dental caries.
• Inhaler formulations of corticosteroids appear particularly linked to increased caries risk.
• Further high-quality randomized controlled trials are necessary to solidify these findings.