Gastroesophageal reflux in children with cerebral palsy and its relationship to erosion of primary and permanent teeth

Abstract

Patients with cerebral palsy are known to have a high incidence of feeding difficulties, including problems with swallowing, vomiting, recurrent chest infections, and irritability. Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) is an involuntary passage of the gastric contents into the esophagus. It has been found in a higher prevalence (up to 75 percent) in cerebral palsy patients. Long-term gastric acid attacks teeth and can cause dental erosion. Bargen and Austin first discovered the relationship between GER and dental erosion in 1937 when they concluded that the loss of dental hard tissue could be an indicator and the predominant oral manifestation of GER. The purpose of this study is to investigate the correlation between GER and dental erosion in primary and permanent teeth in cerebral palsy patients. Twenty-one patients participated in this study. Results showed that out of the 21 patients, 15 had erosion and 11 of them had GER history. The chi-square analysis with the p value of less than or equal to 0.025 showed the distribution to be significant. The severity of the erosion was correlated to the duration of the disease, frequency of vomiting, pH of the acid, type of acid, and quantity and quality of saliva. The study revealed that children with cerebral palsy have an increased prevalence of tooth erosion, which may be attributed to the existing gastroesophageal reflux.