81 - The Cariogenic Effect of Nutritional Drink Supplements in Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs

Objective: To compare the dental health outcomes of children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHN) who consume nutritional supplements (NS) with those who do not.

Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study. The data was extracted from electronic health records. The patients included are complex care patients (0-6yrs old) who received dental treatment using general anesthesia between 2021-2025 who also had a nutritional consult encounter within 2 years. The general anesthesia visit data included treatment completed; exam/radiographs, restorative treatment (restorations/crowns), extractions, and calculus. The complex care clinic nutrition consult data included the feeding modality (tube fed, by mouth, combination), nutritional supplement consumption (Y/N) including sugar content, volume, and frequency. The dietary behavior included milk and juice consumption and snacking consumption.

Results: N = 87. Significant findings included tube-fed patients had roughly 6–7 times higher odds of calculus compared with those in other groups (P=0.0047) and had increased likelihood of diagnostic/preventive-only
treatment in GA (P <0.001)​. The number of fillings/crowns was significantly higher in orally-fed patients not taking NS, compared with orally-fed patients taking NS (P=0.022)​To the contrary, the number of extractions was significantly higher in orally-fed patients taking NS, compared with orally-fed patients not taking NS (P=0.11)​. No significant associations were found between snacking
frequency in groups of orally-fed patients, with or without NS​.

Conclusion: Nutritional supplements taken orally may impact dental ​disease progression and severity of carious lesions​. The route of nutritional supplement intake impacts caries risk​. More collaboration is needed between oral health
providers and nutritionists​