Celiac Disease
Celiac disease is an immune reaction to eating gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. It affects 1% of the population worldwide and can manifest itself in the digestive system, as well as in every organ in the body. Over time, the immune reaction to eating gluten creates inflammation that damages the small intestine’s lining, leading to medical complications. It also prevents absorption of some nutrients (malabsorption).
Common symptoms of celiac disease include diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, bloating, gas, fatigue, bone or joint pain, depression, anxiety and migraines.
However, among the 200 known clinical signs and symptoms associated with celiac disease, there are also oral manifestations that could be a useful screening tool for celiac disease.
Some of those symptoms are: dental enamel defects, canker sores and delayed tooth eruption.
These dental symptoms are not enough to diagnose celiac disease, however recognizing these oral symptoms can help rule out the possibility of the disease. If these symptoms are noticed during routine visits to your dentist, whether in a child or an adult, they should be referred to their physician for further evaluation.
University of Chicago Medicine
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