Dental erosion in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common condition. In addition to esophageal alterations, there are several extra-esophageal symptoms, such as dental erosion. These areas of dental erosion have a characteristic localization and may sometimes be the first symptom of the GERD syndrome. Late recognition of these effects, or ignoring them, may cause irreversible dental lesions with a negative impact on esthetics, on masticator functions and hence on the digestive system. In this paper the effects of gastroesophageal reflux on hard dental tissues are reviewed.