Oral Health of Children with Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease: A Controlled Study

Background. The aim of this study was to compare the dental health of children with gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) with a healthy control group. Methods: Dental examinations were conducted for 52 children (31 boys and 21 girls) with a definitive history of GERD. For every subject enrolled in the study, a healthy control sibling without the condition was recruited. Medical histories were obtained from medical records, and dental and dietary histories were obtained from parents. The teeth were examined for erosion, dental caries, and enamel hypoplasia, and sampled for Streptococcus mutans. Results: The prevalence of erosion by teeth was found to be statistically significant between GERD patients (14 per cent) and controls (10 per cent) (