Oral Health Intervention Program for Children With Congenital Heart Defects

Background: Children with congenital heart defects (CHD) are reported to have poorer oral health compared with healthy children. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of an intensive oral health care program among children with CHD followed from infancy to the age of five years, by comparing their oral health status at five years with a control group of children with CHD who had not received the program. Methods: In this longitudinal study, children in western Norway with a need for lifelong follow-up due to congenital heart defects were invited to participate (n=119). Children born in 2008-2011 were offered a promotive oral health intervention program from infancy to the age of five years. The outcome measures for evaluating the intervention were dental caries prevalence, dental erosion, plaque index and gingival bleeding index. The data of the intervention group were compared with cross sectional oral health data of five year old controls with CHD born 2005-2007 (already published).