Evaluation of bronchial asthma as risk factor for early childhood caries.

Asthma and dental caries are common chronic health conditions of childhood. The aim of this study was to determine if severity of bronchial asthma is a risk factor for early childhood caries. Asthmatic children aged 71 months or younger were examined for their plaque and caries status and were compared with controls matched for age, sex and socioeconomic status. The results showed that asthmatics as a group had a lower DMFT score than the control group. New asthma management and educational programs may be having a positive spillover effect to the dental arena.