Dental Health Status and Determinants in Pediatric Pa Tints with Heart Disease: A Cross-Sectional Analysis at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital”
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Date
2026-08-24
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Background: Children who are born with a cardiac problem are more vulnerable worldwide to poor oral health, which can lead to potentially fatal complications such as infective endocarditis. In Ethiopia, despite limited research, clinical information regarding this susceptible group's oral health is very lacking.
Objective: To assess the magnitude of dental diseases and identify factors associated with them among children with heart disease at TASH.
Methods: A facility-based cross-sectional study will be carried out among a calculated sample of child-parent dyads chosen using a systematic random sampling technique. Data were collected through clinical oral examinations (using dmft/DMFT and GI indices) and structured interviewer administered questionnaires assessing socio-demographic, medical, and KAP factors. Data were analyzed using STATA/SPSS.
Results: A total of 315 caregivers were involved in the research. The findings showed that 67.0% of children had poor dental status, with gingival inflammation observed in 40.6% and dental caries affecting both primary (44.6%) and permanent teeth (31.2%). Despite over half of the participants reporting access to nearby dental clinics, 93.3% had never visited a dentist, mainly due to lack of referral and low awareness. Most caregivers had poor knowledge (68.3%) and poor oral health practices (97.8%). Multivariable analysis identified caregiver knowledge and child age as signifi cant predictors of dental status.
Conclusion and recommendations: The study demonstrates a high prevalence of poor oral health among children with heart disease, with very low utilization of dental services. Poor caregiver knowledge and lack of referral systems were key contributing factors, indicating a gap between awareness and practice. Strengthening caregiver education, integrating oral health assessment into routine cardiac care, and establishing structured referral systems between cardiology and dental services are essential to improve outcomes.
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Heart disease, Dental disease, oral health, Addis Ababa