Asthma In Children- A Dental Perspective

Abstract

Asthma is considered as the most common form of chronic childhood disease. The prevelance of asthma is more in children. It is commonly associated with a family history of atopy which includes problem with immune system which makes more prone to allergic diseases. The symptoms and exacerbations of asthma are frequently aggravated by a wide range of trigger factors which includes viral infections, outdoor allergens, indoor allergens and tobacco smoke. Asthma generally affects people of all ages but most commonly it occurs in childhood with peak prevalence between 6 to 11 years of age. Asthma is more common in boys than in girls until puberty, but after puberty the incidence is almost equal. A link between dental caries and asthma has biological reliability. Although there is increasing prevalence of asthma, only a few numbers of studies have investigated the relation of caries experience in asthmatic children during the last 30 years, and the results are somewhat conflicting.