Association between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and dental caries risk: a retrospective cross-sectional study in children and adolescents

Background: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder in children, associated with challenges in maintaining health habits and potential side effects from stimulant medications, which may elevate dental caries risk. This study examined whether children and adolescents with ADHD exhibit higher caries rates than peers in a large hospital-based population. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional analysis utilized electronic health records from 258,914 patients aged 0 to 17 years at University of Florida Health Hospitals (2011 to 2025). ADHD was identified using International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) code F90 and dental caries using ICD-10 code K02.9. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95 percent confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Results: ADHD prevalence was 7.12% (18,444 patients), and caries prevalence was 3.14% (8125 patients). Caries prevalence was 9.01% in the ADHD group versus 2.69% in those without ADHD. The unadjusted OR was 3.59 (95% CI: 3.39 to 3.79; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Children and adolescents with ADHD demonstrated elevated caries prevalence, supporting the need for targeted preventive dental strategies in this population.

ADHD; Dental caries; Pediatric dentistry; Xerostomia; Electronic health records; Hospital-based study

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