Oral-dental hygiene and oral microorganisms in children with and without congenital heart disease
ABSTRACT: This study was done
to compare the dental and oral hygiene status of children with and without
congenital heart disease (CHD) by investigating oral microorganisms and dental
and oral hygiene indices.
Methods A cross-sectional study was done on children aged 2 to 15 years
from April 2002 to December 2003 at the Department of Child Health, Haji Adam
Malik Hospital, Medan. There were two subject groups, the first consisting of
children with CHD and the second of those without. The dental and oral hygiene
status was determined by determining caries index and oral hygiene index. Swabs
from the subjects’ upper first molars were taken and cultured to determine the
types of microorganisms present. Data were analyzed using the chi-square test,
Fisher’s exact test, and t-test.
Results There was a significant difference in mean oral hygiene index
between children with (mean 2.75; SD 1.85) and without (mean 1.45; SD 0.78) CHD
(P<0.001). Positive bacterial cultures were more frequent in children with
CHD than in those without. The proportion of normal anaerobes was significantly
higher in children with CHD (P=0.038). Such a significant difference was not
found for normal aerobes, pathogenic aerobes, and pathogenic anaerobes. In
children with CHD, there was no significant association between mean caries
index and oral hygiene index with culture results. In those without CHD, a
significant association was found between the caries index components of
decayed tooth index (P=0.003) and DMF-T (P=0.022) with culture results.
Conclusions Oral-dental hygiene in children with CHD is poor relative to
that in children without CHD. Microorganism growth appears more likely in
children with CHD than in those without.
Keywords: congenital heart
disease, dental hygiene, oral hygiene, oral microorganisms, caries index, oral hygiene
index
Author: Erniwaty P Panggabean,
MD; Lily Irsa, MD; Rosihan Anwar; MD; Munar Lubis, MD; Rusdidjas, MD; Syahril
Pasaribu, MD
Journal Code: jpkedokterangg050075
