Can Stomach Illness Leads to Dental Disease

As we all know one of the leading causes of stomach illness today is due to fast food and it has a major impact on the lifestyle and health of younger population. Common gastric symptoms like acidity, gastric ulcer, and some of symptoms like regurgitation has been common nowadays due to eating fast food regardless of time and psychological illness like bulimia nervosa.

Various stomach illness like Gastroesophageal reflux disease commonly known as GERD is being popular related to dental field. GERD causes regurgitation of food contents from stomach to oral cavity (mouth).This is due to loss of esophageal sphintcher to close tightly maintaining its contents into stomach which leads to emptying of food contents mixed with stomach acid into oral cavity as unpleaseant liquid which may come along with burping. This liquid has low pH 1 which is highly acidic and when this comes in contact with enamel of teeth.

Usually enamel is considered caries free if it pH is maintained at more than 5. When enamel pH becomes less than 5.5 (critical pH) it becomes more prone to dental caries. As acid content from stomach contacts the enamel of teeth it reduces it pH as low as 1.5 commencing its action on enamel to erode and dissolution of its enamel content leading to more prone to dental erosion and dental caries. Dental erosion is a term in which there is dissolution of enamel inorganic contents like calcium, hydroxyapeptite crystals in enamel leading to a transparent structure of enamel and causes sensitivity which is considered to be a major drawback.

Sensitivity on eating and binging on hot and cold beverages may elevate the symptoms. The  treatment may vary depending on the level of extent of erosion. Morphologically teeth may appear as more translucent than yellow white colour and it may cause a saucer shaped surface on cervical region of the tooth near gingival which is most sensitive. On the other hand dental caries is also most common cause of low pH.  This is due to various bacteria present in oral cavity which acts on enamel surface in presence of food and progression of caries and degrade organic contents of enamel. Treatment depend on  using desensitizing paste to filling, and root canal procedures preferred by dentist.

Many psychological symptoms like bulimia nervosa (eating disorder) in which patient may eat and voluntarily vomit this leads to pH of the mouth to drop below 5.5 for a longer period and leads to erosion. Some Genetic syndromes  related to stomach like Crohn’s disease, Puetz-Jeghers disease, celiac sprue, Chediak higashi syndrome, ectodermal dysplasia and many others have been identified to have been contributing to dental problems. One of the best solution to maintaining the general dental health is by visiting dentist every 6 months and identifying the problem at an early stage which reduce the cost of treatment and reduces morbidity of the individual.

Another measure that every individual should be responsible is to taking care of their own health which is utmost primary care needed is maintain a balanced life style and eating a balance diet and regular exercise  and maintaining mental health of one self and taking care of others mental health to make good environmnent .