Association of Oral Health Status in Young Adult Asthmatic Patient of Moradabad City

AbstractBackground: Asthma is a chronic inflammatory airway disease that may exert meaningful effects beyond the respiratory tract, particularly in the oral cavity. Long-term inhaler use, mouth breathing, reduced salivary flow, and altered oral pH have all been linked with caries, periodontal breakdown, and mucosal changes.Aim: To assess the association between oral health status and asthma among young adults of Moradabad city, Uttar Pradesh, India.Materials and Methods: An observational case-control study was conducted among 268 participants aged 20-40 years, comprising 134 asthmatic patients and 134 non-asthmatic controls. Oral examination was performed using WHO criteria (1997) for dentition and periodontal assessment. The study received ethical approval from the Institutional Ethics and Review Board of Kothiwal Dental College and Research Centre.Results: The two groups were comparable in age and gender distribution. Asthmatic participants showed a significantly higher mean number of decayed teeth, more advanced periodontal pocketing, greater attachment loss, and a higher prevalence of oral mucosal lesions. Bleeding on probing did not differ significantly between groups.Conclusion: Young adults with asthma demonstrated poorer oral health than non-asthmatic controls. The findings support integrating oral screening, preventive counseling, and dental referral into routine asthma care.