Oral health in children with rare diseases and gastrostomy tubes: A retrospective database cohort study.

BACKGROUND

The purpose was to investigate oral health in children with rare diseases and gastrostomy tubes (GTs).

METHODS

This is a retrospective review of oral health in children with rare diseases and GTs 3-16 years of age who were registered in a database. The children were divided into three cohorts: 1995-2002 (cohort I), 2003-2010 (cohort II), and 2011-2018 (cohort III) with a control group of children with rare diseases without GTs. The presence of gingivitis, calculus, caries, and oral hypersensitivity were obtained from a standardized observation schedule. Frequencies of vomiting and dental visits were obtained from questionnaires completed by legal guardians.

RESULTS

A total of 263 out of 2470 children had a GT. The control group consisted of 2208 children. The presence of gingivitis was significantly lower in cohort III compared with both cohorts I and II. There was no significant difference between calculus and hypersensitivity between the cohorts. The presence of gingivitis, calculus, oral hypersensitivity, and frequency of vomiting were higher in the study group, compared with that of the controls. The study groups showed statistically significant fewer caries in children <12 years of age compared with those without a g-tube.

CONCLUSIONS

Ten percent of the children with rare diseases had a gastrostomy. Children with GTs displayed poorer oral health than children without, except for caries. All children with GTs displayed oral hypersensitivity and a higher frequency of vomiting. Gingivitis decreased when comparing cohort I to cohort III.