Acta clinica Croatica, Vol. 63. No. 2, 2024.
Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.20471/acc.2024.63.02.14
Oral health status in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Filip Doder
; Special Hospital for Respiratory Diseases, Zagreb, Croatia; Dubrava University hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
*
Lara Vranić
; student, School of Dental Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Luka Šimunović
; Department of Orthodontics, School of Dental Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
* Corresponding author.
Abstract
The aim is to point to oral health status in patients suffering from chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Th e study included 106 patients diagnosed with COPD
who were treated at the Special Hospital for Pulmonary Diseases, Zagreb, Croatia. The World
Health Organization questionnaire for oral health in adults was used as a validated measure to assess
oral health. Results were compared based on the severity of the disease according to the GOLD
classification, long term oxygen therapy, and their smoking habits. Most patients (61.3%) had less
than 10 teeth. Also, 82.2% of the patients had problems with their oral health in the previous year.
More than half of the patients (55.7%) ranked the status of their oral cavity and teeth as average or
worse, whereas 58.5% of the patients ranked their gingival status as good or better. Also, 55.7% of
the patients brushed their teeth once a day or less, which was more pronounced in men. The same
percentage of the patients did not know whether their toothpaste contained fluoride. Sixty-seven
percent of the patients were former smokers, while the rest were active smokers. Smokers reported
more frequent feeling of shame and tension because of the appearance of their teeth in relation to
non-smokers. Patients with advanced stages of COPD are more likely to report problems with eating
and chewing food compared to patients with less advanced stages of the disease. According to the
results, further systematic education of COPD patients is crucial in promoting the importance of oral
health.
Keywords
Oral health; Caries; Prevention; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Hrčak ID:
327963
URI
Publication date:
31.10.2025.
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