Abstracto

Dental Caries Experience in Relation to Physical Salivary Characteristics Among Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease Patients

Marwa Siddik Abdulrazak*, Alhan Ahmed Qasim, Ali Ismael Falih

Background: Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), a highly prevalent gastrointestinal disease, in which return of gastric content other than air to the mouth can, occurs. Much oral manifestation related to this disease including dental caries, dental erosion and changes in salivary flow rate and pH.

Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study; all the patients participating in this study were attending the Gastroenterology and Hepatology Teaching Hospital in Baghdad who had endoscopically diagnosed with gastroesophageal reflux disease according to the Los Angeles (LA) classification, aged 20-40 years old and of both genders. Dental caries experience was implemented according to WH0 (2013). Unstimulated saliva samples were collected for estimation of salivary flow rate and pH.

Results: From the whole sample (98%) of the patients were with caries. Dental caries experience (DT, DS, DMFT) mostly were higher among patients that do not take medication than those take medication with no statistically significant difference except (MS and DMFS) these results were statistically significant.

Salivary flow rate show mild reduction with increasing disease severity for both groups concerning medication. Also dental caries experience (DMFS, DMFT) had a significantly negative correlation with salivary flow rate and salivary pH among patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Conclusion: The study shows that GERD had an effect on salivary flow rate and pH and in turn this could negatively affect dental caries experience which can be controlled by taking the appropriate medication and controlling disease severity.