CORRELATION OF ORAL HEALTH STATUS WITH CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL, INDIA

Background Oral health is considered to be an important factor in respiratory diseases such as pneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Poor oral health has been implicated as an independent risk factor for the development of COPD, but few studies have evaluated the association between oral health and COPD. Objective To assess the oral health and habits of individuals with COPD visiting our outpatient department (OPD) for regular checkup. Methods We performed a case–control study of oral health among patients with COPD exacerbators and healthy non-COPD control subjects. Cases had experienced ≥1 exacerbation in the previous 12 months, and control subjects were healthy patients reporting to the dental OPD for regular dental checkup. We evaluated oral health status, recorded dental symptoms/habits, and performed pulmonary function testing. In a subset, we performed blinded dental examinations to measure bleeding on probing, probing depth, clinical attachment loss, periodontitis severity, plaque index, gingival index, and caries risk. We evaluated associations between oral health and COPD using logistic regression. Results Self-reported oral health status and objective dental findings had variations between cases and control subjects. Participants with COPD had multiple missing teeth and a higher amount of plaque and calculus, indicating poor dental health. Oral candidiasis, keratotic white lesions, and oral melanosis were also present. Conclusions In the present observational study, we found that participants with COPD had poor oral health that compromised their quality of life, probably precipitating an acute exacerbation. The incidence of COPD can be reduced by good oral hygiene measures.