Clinical evaluation of specific oral and salivary findings of coeliac disease in eastern Turkish paediatric patients.

AIM The aim of this study was to evaluate enamel defects (EDs), recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) and salivary findings in Eastern Turkish children with coeliac disease (CD), and to compare the results with healthy children. MATERIALS AND METHODS STUDY DESIGN 70 children (35 CD patients and 35 healthy patients) aged between 5 to 15 years were included in this study. Intraoral examination was performed; saliva specimens were collected for analysis. Oral health conditions, tooth brushing frequency, saliva pH level, flow rate and buffering capacity were recorded. Kruskal-Wallis test was used for comparison of DMFT and dft index. Chi-squared test was used for the data of oral health status. The significance level was set at p = 0.05. RESULTS EDs were seen in 54.3% (19 patients) of the CD patients and more frequently than the controls (p < 0.05). Regarding RAS, 31.4% (11 patients) of the CD patients and none of control group had aphthous ulcers (p < 0.05). Salivary flow rate and buffering capacity were lower in CD patients (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION The oral examination could be a significant contribution to the detection of CD. Especially paediatric dentists can play an important role in the early diagnosis and may help paediatricians about CD.