Oral health behavior during early childhood in children with major congenital heart defects.

Background: Good oral health in children with congenital heart defect (CHD) is important.

Aim: To assess oral health behavior during early childhood in children with CHD in comparison with children with no known systemic conditions and to explore parental oral health behavior associated with children's behavior.

Design: Seventy of all 89 children born in Finland between April 1, 2017, and March 31, 2020, with (a) major CHD potentially included in the criteria of endocarditis prophylaxis or (b) any CHD with surgical repair combined with a chromosomal syndrome, and a comparison group of 87 children with no known systemic conditions were recruited. Thirty-five children with CHD were randomized to usual care (no intensified counseling) and were compared with 87 matched comparison children by a parental questionnaire assessing child and parental oral health behavior at child age at 24 months.

Results: Toothbrushing twice a day (p = .008) and the use of fluoride toothpaste twice a day (p = .059) were less common in children with CHD than in children in the comparison group. Nonwater drinks between meals was more common among children in the CHD group than in the comparison group (p = .015).

Conclusion: Children with major CHD experience poorer oral health behavior in comparison with children with no known systemic conditions during early childhood.