Self-reported oral health and xerostomia in adult patients with celiac disease versus a comparison group

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the impact of celiac disease (CD) on oral health and xerostomia.

Study design: Members of the Dutch Celiac Society (n = 5522) were invited to complete an online questionnaire based on the Oral Health Impact Profile 14 (OHIP-14) and Xerostomia Inventory (XI). Acquaintances and partners of the CD respondents served as the comparison group. In total, data of 740 patients with CD and 270 comparison participants were evaluated.

Results: The median age of the responding patients with CD (55 years) was similar to the median age in the comparison group (53 years). Oral health problems, including aphthous stomatitis, painful mouth, and gingival problems, were more frequently reported by patients with CD. Mean OHIP-14 score (4.9 vs 2.6; P < .001) and the mean XI score (22.2 vs 17.2; P < .001) were higher in the CD group than in the comparison group. No significant effects of gender, age at CD diagnosis, or time on a gluten-free diet in mean OHIP-14 and XI scores were observed.

Conclusions: This study showed that oral health problems are more commonly experienced in adult patients with CD than in the comparison group. Collaboration between dentists and gastroenterologists is recommended to increase detection of undiagnosed CD.