Rita Correia , paediatric dentist at Hospital da Luz, concluded her doctorate degree in Health Sciences, at the Catalunya International University (Barcelona). Her thesis – entitled “ Effects of medication for asthma and the development of cavities in children aged 3-15 at Hospital da Luz Lisboa, Portugal ” – gained the unanimous approval of the jury, with praise and distinction, after the public defence on October 7. In the work conducted for her thesis, Rita Correia researched on the relation between medication for asthma and the development of cavities in children aged from 3 to 15 years. “The importance of the topic lies in the need to understand how medication for asthma may influence oral health, particularly the development of cavities, a problem that is quite relevant in asthmatic children, given their frequent exposure to medication”, explains the paediatric dentist. A total of 159 children were studied, selected among those followed up at Hospital da Luz Lisboa. The research was conducted between January 2021 and February 2022. In the end, these were the main conclusions: Medication for asthma may in effect influence the development of cavities. It was found that 50.3% of asthmatic children medicated had at least one cavity, with a slightly higher average of cavities compared to asthmatic children not medicated and children with no asthma. In the photo above , the new doctor with the jury: Irene Ventura Ramos (Egas Moniz School of Health and Science), Rita Correia, Luís Giner Tarrida (Catalunya International University; president of the jury) and Miguel Hernández Juyol (in the back, also from Catalunya International University).
