Oral health status and dental anomalies among children with congenital heart disease in contemporary times.

AIMS: The aim of the study was to assess the oral health, hygiene status, and prevalence of dental anomalies in children suffering from congenital heart disease (CHD). MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was conducted on 300 children, aged 2-16 years, diagnosed with CHD. RESULTS: Overall, the oral health status of the children with CHD was found to be poor in this study. The prevalence of caries was found to be 56.7%. It was significantly higher in children with acyanotic CHD compared to cyanotic CHD. Mean DMFT was 0.6 +/- 1.6. Mean Debris index was 0.8 +/- 0.9. Mean calculus index was 0.3 +/- 0.6. The prevalence of dental anomalies was 9%. Most common anomaly was enamel opacities/hypoplasia (8.0%) followed by hypodonita (0.7%) and fusion (0.3%). The mean dmft score and Calculus Index were found to be significantly higher in cyanotic CHD group compared to acyanotic CHD group. Prevalence of caries, Debris Index, Calculus Index, and Oral Health Index were found to be increasing with increasing age (> 5 vs. < 5 years). CONCLUSION: Overall, the oral health status of the children with CHD was found to be poor in this study.