There is no apparent link between asthma and tooth decay, according to a study published in the current issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association (September 2010, Vol. 141:9, pp. 1061-1074).
The review examined 27 studies that looked for a link between asthma and cavities that were reported in 29 papers published between 1976 and March 2010.
"The notion that there is a link between asthma and tooth decay may have its origin in anecdotal statements by emergency room workers who see children with poorly managed asthma. These children could also be more likely to have poorly managed dental conditions, and therefore tooth decay. It's reasonable to believe that poor clinical management may be associated with both conditions, not the asthma that is causing the cavities," said lead author Gerardo Maupomé, B.D.S., M.Sc., Ph.D., a professor of preventive and community dentistry at the Indiana University School of Dentistry.
But the researchers found little evidence to suggest that asthma causes tooth decay.
"In fact, the two largest studies we reviewed found that children with asthma appear to have fewer cavities than others. This may be because their parents are used to taking them to healthcare providers and routinely bring them to the dentist," Dr. Maupomé said.
While not apparently associated, tooth decay and asthma are the two most prevalent chronic childhood diseases in the U.S., according to the study.
Parents of children with asthma do not need to be concerned about an increased risk of tooth decay, but Dr. Maupomé noted that children who use nebulizers to control their asthma may be inadvertently increasing their frequency of exposure to sugars because these nebulizers use fructose to deliver therapy.
He also recommended that children who are mouth breathers or who have mouth dryness be checked periodically by their dentists. These conditions may be associated with asthma, but they are also found in children who do not have asthma. Many medications used for the long term (such as asthma medications) have been found to reduce the amount of saliva, which is the first protection of teeth.
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