Oro-dental lesions in paediatric patients with coeliac disease: an observational retrospective clinical study

Background and aim of the study: investigating the correlation between coeliac disease and specific oral lesions. Methods: 114 paediatric patients were enrolled and divided into three groups: diagnosed celiac patients (CD group), patients with malabsorption without coeliac disease (non-CD group), and healthy patients as control. Lesions of oral hard and soft tissues were detected and analysed by Fisher's test and odds ratio calculations. Major results: a non-random correlation between the three groups and the rate of enamel defects was detected. The CD group showed more and more severe enamel defects compared to the non-CD group. Instead, a non-random association between the three groups and the number of mucous lesions was not observed. Furthermore, malabsorption patterns not related to the coeliac disease involved a relatively modest risk of specific enamel defects when compared to control. Conclusions: hypoplastic enamel defects of the permanent teeth could represent reliable indicators for the coeliac disease. The etiology of specific hypoplastic enamel lesions has to be mainly sought in the autoimmune response triggered by gluten, while the malabsorption would play only a minor role. Lesions of the oral mucous membranes should not be considered as specific risk indicators, however representing a non-specific marker of malabsorption.