Evaluation of gingival condition in asthmatic children.

Background: Asthma is considered to be the most common chronic respiratory disorder in children, and it has been suggested that asthmatic children may be at an increased risk of developing gingival disease. A study was made to evaluate the level of oral hygiene and gingival health in asthmatic children, and to explore their possible relationship with the severity of asthma. Materials and Methods: A total of 187 children (108 with asthma and 79 healthy controls) between 6-16 years of age were studied. A questionnaire was used to collect information on habits of oral hygiene. The presence of mouth breathing was recorded, and an oral clinical examination was carried out based on the following indices: Silness-Löe plaque index, simplified Greene-Vermillion oral hygiene index, Löe-Silness gingival index, Ainamo and Bay bleeding on probing index, and the community periodontal index (CPI). The severity of asthma was classified following the recommendations of the Spanish Guide on the Management of Asthma (Guía Española para el Manejo del Asma [GEMA]). Results: The level of oral hygiene was similar in both groups. Mouth breathing was more frequent among the asthmatic children (p<0.001), and the gingival index and bleeding on probing scores were higher (p=0.005 and p=0.013, respectively). Conclusions: Mouth breathing was more common in the asthmatic children, and they had higher gingival index and bleeding on probing scores than the healthy controls, despite good habits of oral hygiene.