Dental Enamel Defects in Children Strong Indicators of Celiac Disease

Nice article but please provide clinical references of specific enamel defects. As a dental professional with celiac disease I have never in 30 years seen a picture or heard of an enamel defect that was suggested it was related to celiac disease. This is new news. High fevers, medications, injury during tooth development have always been suggested of poor enamel. And when all else fails you blame it on genetics.

Just FYI:

1)

Eur J Paediatr Dent. 2007 Mar;8(1):31-7.

Enamel hypoplasia in coeliac children: a potential clinical marker of early diagnosis.

Bossù M, Bartoli A, Orsini G, Luppino E, Polimeni A.

Department of Pediatric Dentistry, University La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.

2)

International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry

Volume 17 Issue 3, Pages 163 - 168

Published Online: 7 Feb 2007

Dental enamel defects in children with coeliac disease

CLAAR D. WIERINK 1 , DENISE E. VAN DIERMEN 2 , IRENE H. A. AARTMAN 3 & HUGO S. A. HEYMANS 4

ABSTRACT

Objective. The aim of this study was to investigate whether Dutch children with proven coeliac disease show specific dental enamel defects, and to asses whether children with the same gastrointestinal complaints, but proved no-coeliac disease, lack these specific dental enamel defects.

Materials and methods. Eighty-one children (53 coeliac patients and 28 control subjects) were examined during the period 2003–2004 in the Oral Surgery Outpatient Clinic of the Academic Medical Centre in Amsterdam.

Result. Twenty-nine (55%) coeliac patients had enamel defects against 5 (18%) control subjects. In the coeliac disease group, the enamel defects were diagnosed as specific in 20 (38%) children, compared with 1 (4%) in the control group. Statistical analysis showed significantly more specific enamel defects in children with coeliac disease than in children in the control group (χ 2 = 12.62, d.f. = 2, P = 0.002).

Conclusion. This study showed significantly more specific enamel defects in Dutch children with coeliac disease as compared with children in the control group. Dentists could play an important role in recognizing patients with coeliac disease.

3) From the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse

A service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, NIH

Dental Enamel Defects and Celiac Disease

Celiac disease manifestations can extend beyond the classic gastrointestinal problems, affecting any organ or body system. One of these manifestations—dental enamel defects—can help dentists and other health care providers identify people who may have celiac disease and refer them to a gastroenterologist. Ironically, for some people with celiac disease, a dental visit, rather than a trip to the gastroenterologist, was the first step toward discovering their illness.

Not all dental enamel defects are caused by celiac disease, although the problem is fairly common among people with the condition, particularly children, according to Alessio Fasano, M.D., medical director at the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research. And dental enamel defects might be the only presenting manifestations of celiac disease, Fasano said.

Dental enamel problems stemming from celiac disease involve permanent dentition and include tooth discoloration—white, yellow, or brown spots on the teeth—poor enamel formation, pitting or banding of teeth, and mottled or translucent-looking teeth. The imperfections are symmetrical and often appear on the incisors and molars.

Tooth defects resulting from celiac disease are permanent and do not improve once a diagnosed patient adopts a gluten-free diet—the only treatment available for celiac disease. But dentists may use bonding, veneers, and other cosmetic solutions to cover enamel defects in older children and adults.

4) More resources:

The following studies discuss celiac disease and dental enamel defects:

Aguirre JM, Rodriguez R, et al. Dental enamel defects in celiac patients. Oral Surgery Oral Medicine Oral Pathology. 1997;84:646–650.

Bossu M, Bartoli A, et al. Enamel hypoplasia in celiac children: a potential clinical marker of early diagnosis. European Journal of Pediatric Dentistry. 2007;8:31–37.

Procaccini M, Campisi G, et al. Lack of association between celiac disease and dental enamel hypoplasia in a case-control study from an Italian central region. Head and Face Medicine. 2007;3:25.

Wierink celiac disease, Van Diermen DE, et al. Dental enamel defects in children with celiac disease. International Journal of Pediatric Dentistry. 2007;17:163–168.