Oral characteristics of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder

The purpose of this study was to compare the oral and demographic characteristics of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to those of a control group of children. A sample of 25 dental records of children medicated for ADHD was compared to 127 records of healthy children not receiving any medication. The children with ADHD had a statistically higher prevalence of toothache, bruxism, bleeding gums, and oral trauma histories than the control group (chi square, p<0.05). The differences in other recorded oral characteristics and habits, such as plaque accumulation, gingival inflammation, calculus, oral hygiene compliance, dental caries experience, and unmet dental needs, were not statistically significant. The demographic characteristics such as age, gender, residence, ethnicity, income, and payment method were also not significantly different between the two groups. There is a need to develop and implement specific strategies for the early prevention and treatment of oral diseases in children with ADHD.