Online Program

289148
Oral health in recurrent aphthous stomatitis


Monday, November 4, 2013

Prangwipa Malakan, BSc (Pharm), College of Public Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE
Jonathan Shuster, MSc, PhD, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
Douglas Theriaque, MS, Florida International University, Miami, FL
Lorena Baccaglini, DDS, MS, PhD, College of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE
Background: Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) is a painful oral wound affecting 40% of the U.S. population. However, its etiology is unknown. This study investigates whether there is any association between oral health factors and RAS. Methods: Data were collected at the University of Florida from June 2006 to April 2011 through questionnaires and oral exams. Participants were controls (never had aphthae), active (with clinical aphthae), or inactive (without clinical aphthae) cases. Data included demographic information, tobacco usage and extra-oral, periodontal and dental examinations. We analyzed data stored in REDCap by using Chi-Square and Kruskal-Wallis tests in SAS v9.3. Results: We recruited 332 participants (139 controls, 51 active and 142 inactive) aged 17-66 years old (24.2 ±7.6, mean ±SD), 55% female, 63% White, and 10% Hispanic. More active cases had attrition (36%) vs. inactive case (20%) or controls (18%; p = 0.02). A higher proportion of active cases had crossbites compared to inactive cases or controls (42%, 27% and 21%, respectively; p = 0.03). Overall, there was no significant difference in the presence of enamel defects (p = 0.16). However, when comparing the distribution of defects between cases and controls, cases (62%) had more widespread lesions than controls (41%; p = 0.01). Lastly, a higher proportion of active cases had tori (59%) than inactive cases (46%) or controls (42%; p = 0.11). Conclusion: A higher proportion of active RAS participants had hard tissue anomalies (attrition, crossbites, enamel defects and tori). Further research is needed to confirm and explain these novel associations.

Learning Areas:

Basic medical science applied in public health
Biostatistics, economics
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
Compare oral findings in patients with and without aphthae

Keyword(s): Oral Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been approved by IRB to analyze the data. Well understand the ethic issues that might occur. Supervised closely by faculty.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.