Gastroesophageal reflux disease: New oral findings.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) on dentition, salivary function, and oral mucosa.

STUDY

DESIGN

Thirty-one patients with esophagitis underwent medical evaluation, which included taking their medical history, performing both an esophagogastroduodenoscopy and esophagus biopsy, and conducting a stomatologic examination. The latter consisted of an extraoral and intraoral physical examination, saliva tests (flow, buffer capacity, and pH), and biopsy and morphometry of the palatal mucosa, as well as taking a history of the patients' habits. Fourteen healthy volunteers from the same population were used as a control group.

RESULTS

No relationship between GERD and changes in the oral cavity was shown by saliva tests, oral clinical examination, or histopathologic examination of the palatal mucosa. However, morphometric analysis of the palatal epithelium showed a statistically significant difference between the patients with GERD and the control group.

CONCLUSIONS

GERD is associated with microscopic alterations in the palatal mucosa (epithelial atrophy and increased fibroblast number), which are only detected by morphometry.