Various drugs are being used to treat asthma. Among the most used types are beta 2 agonists and inhaled steroids. Unfortunately, the long-term use of such drugs may promote a higher risk of caries, dental erosion, periodontal disease, and oral candidiasis. This article reviews the pieces of evidence of mechanisms involved in oral diseases in patients affected by asthma.
The main mechanism that impacted oral health involved the reduction of salivary flow. Other mechanisms that had a significant impact include acid pH in the oral cavity induced by inhaled drugs, lifestyle issues such as bad oral hygiene and higher consumption of sweet, gastroesophageal reflux, and the impairment of local immunity.
The study concluded through its findings that asthma is involved in the genesis of oral pathologies both directly and indirectly due to the effect of the drugs used to treat them. As the disease is identified as the root cause there are some other cofactors as well such as poor oral hygiene increase the risk of developing oral diseases in these patients. Preventive oral measures, therefore, should be part of global care for patients suffering from asthma.
Reference: https://clinicalmolecularallergy.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12948-020-00137-2
