Oral or dental health problems frequently encountered in children with obesity, finds study

Written By : Dr. Shravani Dali |Medically Reviewed By : Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli Published On 2024-02-02T04:15:47+05:30 | Updated On 2 Feb 2024 4:16 AM IST

Oral or dental health problems frequently encountered in children with obesity, finds study published in the British Dental Journal.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of obesity and overweight on the oral/dental health and blood biochemistry parameters in children. A total of 87 children (29 boys, 58 girls) aged 1-18 presenting to our paediatric endocrinology outpatient clinic were included in the study. The patient group consisted of children with obesity/overweight and the control group consisted of children with normal weight. Paediatric patients were examined simultaneously by a paediatrician and a paediatric dentist. Oral/dental health examinations of all children included in the study were performed by a specialist paediatric dentist and dmft/DMFT (decayed, missing and filled teeth) values were calculated separately in the mixed dentition period. The Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs 23 index and the dental plaque 35 index were evaluated at oral/dental health examinations. Oral and dental health examination findings and blood biochemistry parameters were compared between the two groups. Results While DMFT, dental plaque index, blood c-reactive protein (CRP) and parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels were significantly increased in children with overweight/obesity compared to children with normal weight, there was no difference in terms of daily toothbrushing habits and last dental examination times. Overweight/obesity was found to be associated with the dental plaque and DMFT/dmft index, and elevation in the blood biochemistry parameters c-reactive protein and PTH among the children in this study. The observation of significant elevation in DMFT and dental plaque indices and numbers of filled deciduous teeth showed that oral/dental health problems and dental decay may emerge more frequently in children with overweight/obesity. Children with overweight should be routinely provided with dental care as part of a multidisciplinary team that includes paediatricians and dentists.

Reference:

Arzu Yoldaş, M., Vural Yılmazel, S., Bolu, S. et al. The relationship between blood biochemical parameters and oral health in children with obesity/overweight. Br Dent J 235, 968–972 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-023-6593-z

Keywords

Oral, dental, health, problems, frequently, encountered, children, obesity, Arzu Yoldaş, M., Vural Yılmazel, S., Bolu, S, British Dental Journal

Oraldentalhealthproblemsfrequentlyencounteredchildrenobesity

Source : British Dental Journal

Dr. Shravani Dali

Dr. Shravani Dali has completed her BDS from Pravara institute of medical sciences, loni. Following which she extensively worked in the healthcare sector for 2+ years. She has been actively involved in writing blogs in field of health and wellness. Currently she is pursuing her Masters of public health-health administration from Tata institute of social sciences. She can be contacted at editorial@medicaldialogues.in.

Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli

Dr Kamal Kant Kohli-MBBS, DTCD- a chest specialist with more than 30 years of practice and a flair for writing clinical articles, Dr Kamal Kant Kohli joined Medical Dialogues as a Chief Editor of Medical News. Besides writing articles, as an editor, he proofreads and verifies all the medical content published on Medical Dialogues including those coming from journals, studies,medical conferences,guidelines etc. Email: drkohli@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751