Prevent dental erosion due to GERD

A dentist conducting an exam on a young girl A dentist conducting an exam on a young girl A dentist conducting an exam on a young girl

 

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) occurs when the muscle at the end of your esophagus—the tube that carries food from your mouth to your stomach—randomly opens for a period of time or does not shut properly. Contents in your stomach, including highly acidic digestive juices, can leak back up into your esophagus, resulting in a burning sensation in your chest or throat known as heartburn. You may also taste stomach fluid in the back of your mouth, which is called acid indigestion. GERD occurs when you experience any of these symptoms more than twice a week.

Eventually, GERD can cause a slew of health issues, including ulcers and esophageal cancer. It can also cause dental problems. In fact, dentists are often the first health care professional to identify GERD in patients because one major sign of the disease is dental erosion, or dissolving of tooth surfaces. Dental erosion occurs because the acidic juices in the stomach come into contact with the mouth and, over time, break down your teeth.

A gastroenterologist can diagnose and help treat the condition. In addition, here’s what you can do to protect your teeth:

  • Avoid brushing your teeth immediately after a reflux episode. Brushing may damage enamel that has already been weakened by acid.

  • Chew sugar-free gum. Chewing gum stimulates saliva flow, which reduces acid in your mouth.

  • To reduce the risk of demineralization of your teeth, ask your dentist about mouth rinses and toothpastes containing fluoride.

  • To dilute the acid in your mouth, rinse vigorously with water.

  • Rinsing with baking soda in water will neutralize the acid.

 

Sources:

“Dental Erosion and Acid Reflux Disease: An Overview.” D. Lazarchik and K. Frazier. General Dentistry. Vol. 57, no. 2, pp. 151-6, March/April 2009. Abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19552365. Accessed 2013.

"GERD.” Medline Plus, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health. www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/gerd.html. Accessed 2013.

“Heartburn, Gastroesophageal Reflux (GER), and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD).” National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health. http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/gerd. Accessed 2013.

“The Importance of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease In Dentistry.” S. Baskan et al. Biotechnology & Biotechnological Equipment. Vol. 20, No. 2, pp. 146-50, 2006. http://www.diagnosisp.com/dp/journals/view_article.php?journal_id=1&archive=1&issue_id=11&article_id=314. Accessed 2013.

"Preventing Teeth Damage.” Bulimia Help. http://www.bulimiahelp.org/articles/preventing-teeth-damage.Accessed 2013.

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