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Oral Health of Children with Gastro‐Esophageal Reflux Disease: A Controlled Study
Author(s) -
Linnett V.,
Seow WK,
Connor F.,
Shepherd R.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
australian dental journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.701
H-Index - 71
eISSN - 1834-7819
pISSN - 0045-0421
DOI - 10.1111/j.1834-7819.2002.tb00321.x
Subject(s) - gastro , reflux , medicine , disease , oral health , gastroenterology , dentistry
Background: The aim of this study was to compare the dental health of children with gastro‐esophageal reflux disease (GERD) with a healthy control group. Methods: Dental examinations were conducted for 52 children (31 boys and 21 girls) with a definitive history of GERD. For every subject enrolled in the study, a healthy control sibling without the condition was recruited. Medical histories were obtained from medical records, and dental and dietary histories were obtained from parents. The teeth were examined for erosion, dental caries, and enamel hypoplasia, and sampled for Streptococcus mutans.Results: The prevalence of erosion by teeth was found to be statistically significant between GERD patients (14 per cent) and controls (10 per cent) (p<0.05). GERD patients had erosion in more permanent teeth compared to controls (4 per cent vs 0.8 per cent, p<0.05), and more severe erosion (p<0.05). Caries experience was also higher in GERD patients compared to controls (p<0.05). Although there were more subjects with Streptococcus mutans in the GERD group compared to the control group (42 per cent vs 25 per cent), the difference was not statistically significant. Conclusions: Children with GERD have more erosion and dental caries compared to healthy controls and should be targeted for increased preventive and restorative care.