Oral Health Status of Asthmatic Children

A total of 108 children aged from 7 to 16 years old were included in this study and equally divided into two groups: Group I (asthmatic children) and Group II (healthy control). All the children were clinically examined to assess their dental caries experience and periodontal health condition. A trained and calibrated examiner (kappa = 0.95) performed the dental caries examination according to World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. Dental caries status was recorded using the number of decayed, missing or filled teeth (dmft/DMFT) and decayed, missing or filled surface (dmfs/DMFS) indices. Periodontal health was assessed by gingival index \[GI\] and plaque index(PI). An interview was conducted with parents/guardians and a structured questionnaire was employed to parents in addition to medical records. Stimulated salivary samples were collected and assessed for salivary flow rate, salivary pH and buffering capacity.