Salivary and microbial conditions and dental health in patients with Crohn's disease: a 3-year study.

Salivary and microbial conditions and dental status were examined in 21 patients randomly selected from a group of patients with Crohn's disease. Three years later, the patients were recalled and the same factors were reexamined. The results showed that the caries experience in these patients was higher than that observed in age-matched subjects in a normal reference population. Dietary examination disclosed no changes in intake frequencies of different common food items during the 3-year period. All patients had a normal saliva flow rate and buffer capacity. Protein concentration tended to increase and sialic acid to decrease when compared with available reference data. The number of salivary mutans streptococci organisms and lactobacilli was high both at baseline and after 3 years, and no significant differences were observed between the two examinations. Patients with Crohn's disease belong to a high-risk group in relation to caries and should be given comprehensive preventive caries measures.