OHRA - Common Issues Among Children With Special Health Care Needs

Common Issues Among Children With Special Health Care Needs

	Children with asthma and allergies are often on medications that dry salivary secretions, increasing risk of caries.

	Children who are preterm or low birth weight have a much higher rate of enamel defects and are at increased risk of caries.

	Children with congenital heart disease are at risk for systemic infection from untreated oral disease.

	Other issues for CSHCN:
			Medications can cause xerostomia (dry mouth), including medications used to treat asthma as well as antihistamines, antidepressants, and other psychoactive drugs.
			Low birth weight infants have more enamel hypoplasia and higher caries risk. Infants with feeding problems are often placed on special dietary regimens that increase the exposure to carbohydrates.
			Immune-suppressant medications can interfere with wound healing and predispose to oral infections, while cancer chemotherapies produce profound mucositis.
			Medications used for epilepsy (eg, dilantin) and to prevent transplant rejection (eg, cyclosporine) can lead to gingival hypertrophy, which makes hygiene more difficult and increases the risk of gum disease.