A cross-sectional study of medication-related factors and caries experience in asthmatic children

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the specific types of medication, length of use, frequency of use, and dosing time of day on the dental caries of children diagnosed with asthma. METHODS: Using a patient list from a previous study, surveys were mailed to the parents of 179 asthmatic children. The survey itself consisted of a table that asked 4 questions: (1) What combination of asthma medications was used by the subject? (2) How long were the medications used? (3) How often were the medications used? (4) What time of day were the medications used? RESULTS: Of the 179 surveys that were mailed out, 156 were returned. Children who used their medication greater than twice daily were significantly more likely to experience dental disease in both the primary (odds ratio [OR]=2.56, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.45-6.29) and mixed dentitions (OR=3.56, 95% CI 2.45-5.94). CONCLUSIONS: Increased frequency of asthma medication use was associated with increased likelihood of caries experience. The time of day asthma medication was used was associated with increased likelihood of caries experience in children in the primary dentition. Duration of asthma medication use was associated with a decreased likelihood of caries experience in children in the mixed dentition.