Considerations for the Asthmatic Patient in the Pediatric Dental Office

Asthma is the most common chronic lung disease in children and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 6 million children in the United States are affected by this disease.

While there is no cure for asthma, often times, the pediatric patient has it well controlled at home. However, parents are not always as conscious of the implications brought on by the dental setting.

It is important that you provide your dental provider not only at the first visit, but at each of your child’s recare visits, with a thorough medical history in order to properly assess risk factors during dental treatment. This will give your dentist and dental hygienist an understanding of how well-managed the patient is and make the appropriate dental decisions to best suit your treatment needs. 

Studies indicate that not only dental anxiety, but also aerosols produced throughout the visit can trigger an asthma attack. Although supplemental oxygen is available in the dental office, it is recommended to always bring your child’s inhaler.

ALSO KEEP IN MIND
Bronchodilators and corticosteroids not only can cause oral candidiasis (a yeast/fungal infection of the mouth), but it can also increase the patient’s cavity risk due to a decrease in salivary flow. This reduced salivary flow causes less effective cleansing of the mouth from cavity causing bacteria. Saliva can also affect the pH of the mouth and in a compromised patient, it can tend to be lower and more favorable for cavity development. This is why it is extremely important to drink plenty of plain water throughout the day!