Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jkksz Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T18:43:31.692Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The impact of oral health on the quality of life of young patients with congenital cardiac disease

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 April 2009

Marcio A. da Fonseca ,
Meredith Evans ,
Douglas Teske ,
Sarat Thikkurissy  and
Homa Amini
Marcio A. da Fonseca*
Affiliation:
Division of Pediatric Dentistry, The Ohio State University College of Dentistry and Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, Ohio
Meredith Evans
Affiliation:
Private Practice Pediatric Dentistry, Chicago, Illinois
Douglas Teske
Affiliation:
The Heart Center, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
Sarat Thikkurissy
Affiliation:
Division of Pediatric Dentistry, The Ohio State University College of Dentistry and Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, Ohio
Homa Amini
Affiliation:
Division of Pediatric Dentistry, The Ohio State University College of Dentistry and Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, Ohio
*
Correspondence to: Marcio A. da Fonseca, DDS, MS, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Department of Dentistry, 700 Children’s Dr., Columbus, OH 43205. Tel: (614) 722-5648; Fax: (614) 722-5671; E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The purposes of our study were, first, to determine the prevalence of dental caries in young patients with congenital cardiac disease, second, to determine the effect of oral health in their quality of life, third, to examine parental knowledge about associations between oral health and cardiac health, and fourth, to examine parental perceptions regarding access to dental care. A standardized questionnaire was given to a convenience sample of parents of 43 children with cardiac disease and 43 healthy controls from 12 to 71 months of age. In every patient, we performed a dental examination. Descriptive statistics, the two-tailed t-test, and Fisher’s exact test were used for statistical analysis. Of the children with cardiac disease, 17% had caries, compared to 13% of the control group. Almost half of those with cardiac disease had never seen a dentist, compared to 35% of the control subjects. Of the parents of those with cardiac disease, one-fifth did not know whether oral health was important for the heart, compared to one-tenth of controls. Insurance and access to care were not barriers to obtain dental treatment. Statistically significant differences were, first, parents of children with congenitally malformed hearts felt more guilt about their child’s oral health than control parents (p = 0.026), second, they were more upset about the dental problems and/or treatments of their children (p = 0.012), and third, they thought that dental problems and/or dental treatment made their children more irritable (p = 0.012). Our findings indicate that it is of paramount importance that cardiologists and their associated staff educate patients and families about oral health and other issues associated with congenital cardiac disease.

Keywords

Dental cariespediatric dentistrypediatric cardiology
Type
Original Article
Information
Cardiology in the Young , Volume 19 , Issue 3 , June 2009 , pp. 252 - 256
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2009

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Evans, CA, Kleinman, DV. The Surgeon General’s report on America’s oral health: opportunities for the dental profession. J Am Dent Assoc 2000; 131: 1721–1728.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2. American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Reference Manual. Definition of Early Childhood Caries (ECC). Pediatr Dent 2007/2008; 29: 13.Google Scholar
3. Beltrán-Aguilar, ED, Barker, LK, Canto, MT, et al. Surveillance for dental caries, dental sealants, tooth retention, edentulism, and enamel fluorosis – United States, 1988–1994 and 1999–2002. US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. MMWR Surveill Summ 2005; 54: 1–43.Google Scholar
4. Li, Y, Wang, W. Predicting caries in permanent teeth from caries in primary teeth: an eight-year cohort study. J Dent Res 2002; 81: 561–566.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
5. O’Sullivan, DM, Tinanoff, N. The association of early dental caries patterns with caries incidence in preschool children. J Pub Health Dent 1996; 56: 81–83.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
6. Wilson, W, Taubert, KA, Gewitz, M, et al. Prevention of infective endocarditis. Guidelines from the American Heart Association. Circ 2007; 115: 1–19.Google Scholar
7. Varni, J, Limbers, CA, Burwinkle, TM. Impaired health-related quality of life in children and adolescents with chronic conditions: a comparative analysis of 10 disease clusters and 33 disease categories/severities utilizing the PedsQL 4.0 generic core scales. Health Qual Life Outcome 2007; 5: 43–58.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
8. Hovels-Gurich, HH, Konrad, K, Skorzenski, D, et al. Long-term behavior and quality of life after corrective cardiac surgery in infancy for tetralogy of Fallot or ventricular septal defect. Pediatr Cardiol 2007; 28: 346–354.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
9. Walker, RE, Gauvreau, K, Jenkins, KJ. Health-related quality of life in children attending a cardiology clinic. Pediatr Cardiol 2004; 25: 40–48.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
10. Mellander, M, Berntsson, L, Nilsson, B. Quality of life in children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Acta Paediatr 2007; 96: 53–57.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
11. Fleming, P, Gregg, TA, Saunders, ID. Analysis of an emergency dental service provided at a children’s hospital. Int J Paediatr Dent 1991; 1: 25–30.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
12. Schwartz, S. A one-year statistical analysis of dental emergencies in a pediatric hospital. J Can Dent Assoc 1994; 60: 959–962, 966–968.Google Scholar
13. Sheller, B, Williams, BJ, Lombardi, SM. Diagnosis and treatment of dental caries-related emergencies in a children’s hospital. Pediatr Dent 1997; 19: 470–475.Google ScholarPubMed
14. Pahel, BT, Rozier, RG, Slade, GD. Parental perceptions of children’s oral health: The Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS). Health Qual Life Outcome 2007; 5: 6–17.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
15. Filstrup, SL, Briskie, D, da Fonseca, M, Lawrence, L, Wandera, A, Inglehart, MR. Early childhood caries and quality of life: child and parent perspectives. Pediatr Dent 2003; 25: 431–440.Google ScholarPubMed
16. Rebok, G, Riley, A, Forrest, C, et al. Elementary school-aged children’s reports of their health: a congnitive interviewing study. Qual Life Res 2001; 10: 59–70.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
17. Stecksen-Blicks, C, Rydberg, A, Nyman, L, Asplund, S, Svanberg, C. Dental caries experience in children with congenital heart disease: a case-control study. Int J Paediatr Dent 2004; 14: 94–100.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
18. Hallet, KB, Radford, DJ, Seow, WK. Oral health of children with congenital cardiac diseases: a controlled study. Pediatr Dent 1992; 14: 224–230.Google Scholar
19. Pollard, MA, Curzon, MEJ. Dental health and salivary Streptococcus mutans levels in a group of children with heart defects. Int J Paediatr Dent 1992; 2: 81–85.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
20. Balmer, R, Bu’Lock, FA. The experiences with oral health and dental prevention of children with congenital heart disease. Cardiol Young 2003; 13: 439–443.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
21. Saunders, CP, Roberts, GJ. Dental attitudes, knowledge, and health practices of parents of children with congenital heart disease. Arch Dis Child 1997; 76: 539–540.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
22. Franco, E, Saunders, CP, Roberts, GJ, Suwanprasit, A. Dental disease, caries-related microflora and salivary IgA of children with severe congenital cardiac disease: an epidemiological and oral microbial survey. Pediatr Dent 1996; 18: 228–235.Google ScholarPubMed
23. Tasioula, V, Balmer, R, Parsons, J. Dental health and treatment in a group of children with congenital heart disease. Pediatr Dent 2008; 30: 323–328.Google Scholar
24. Bigeard, L. The role of medication and sugars in pediatric dental patients. Dent Clin North Am 2000; 44: 443–456.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
25. Al-Sarheed, M, Angeletou, A, Ashley, PF, Lucas, VS, Whitehead, B, Roberts, GJ. An investigation of the oral status and reported oral care of children with heart and heart-lung transplants. Int J Paediatr Dent 2000; 10: 298–305.Google ScholarPubMed
26. Cheuk, DKL, Wong, SMY, Choi, YP, Chau, AKT, Cheung, YF. Parents’ understanding of their child’s congenital heart disease. Heart 2004; 90: 435–439.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
27. American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Reference manual. Definition of dental home. Pediatr Dent 2007/2008; 29: 10.Google Scholar
28. American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Pediatric Dentistry. Oral health risk assessment timing and establishment of the dental home. Pediatrics 2003; 111: 1113–1116.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
29. Shenkin, JD, Davis, MJ, Corbin, SB. The oral health of special needs children: dentistry’s challenge to provide care. J Dent Child 2001; 86: 201–205.Google Scholar
30. Halfon, N, Inkelas, M, Wood, D. Nonfinancial barriers to care for children and youth. Ann Rev Pub Health 1995; 16: 447–472.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
31. Newacheck, PW, McManus, M, Fox, HB, Hung, YY, Halfon, N. Access to health care for children with special health care needs. Pediatrics 2000; 105: 760–766.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed