Celiac disease and mineralisation disturbances of permanent teeth.

In a study from Finland in 1986 it was shown that celiac disease was often associated with tooth enamel defects of permanent teeth. This study also showed a strong association between the time of gluten challenge in the diagnostic procedure and enamel defects. In the current study, dental examinations were carried out for a group of 40 children and adolescents suffering from celiac disease diagnosed according to the criteria of The European Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition (ESPGAN) at the Department of Paediatrics, Hospital of Uddevalla, Sweden. A control group made of 40 healthy children of the same age, sex and living area was examined in the same way. The results failed to show disturbances of the same type, degree of severity or frequency as was reported in Finland and no statistically significant differences concerning enamel defects were found between the patients with celiac disease and the controls.