Oral manifestations of gastroesophageal reflux disease in children: A preliminary observational study.

AIMS

This study aimed to document the prevalence of oral manifestations seen among pediatric gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) patients in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.

METHODOLOGY

This study was performed at various children's hospitals in Chennai. Fifty-one GERD patients who were assessed by endoscopy and 24 h pH-metry, 31 (60.78%) males and 20 (39.21%) females, aged 2-12 years (mean age, 7.43 years), comprised the study group. All patients answered a detailed frequency questionnaire related to regurgitation and acidic foods and participated in a clinical dental examination.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED

Data were analyzed using the SPSS statistical software package version 19.

RESULTS

Among the GERD patients, 42 (82.35%) had dental erosion. A total of 668 (57.98%) deciduous teeth and 484 (42.02%) permanent teeth were examined, of which dental erosion was detected in 248 (21.52%) and 171 (14.84%) teeth, respectively. The most commonly affected primary tooth was the occlusal surface of the maxillary posteriors and commonly affected permanent tooth was occlusal surface of the mandibular molars.

CONCLUSIONS

There may be a positive correlation between GERD and dental erosion. According to this study, presence of erosion, especially in posterior teeth, could be a key to diagnose GERD and refer the child to the gastroenterologist.