Paediatric gastrointestinal conditions and their oral implications

The paediatric dentist must be familiar with a range of medical problems which can affect the mouth or general health of children. Dental clinicians are ideally placed to help with the detection of a range of gastrointestinal issues and should know when to refer to the paediatric specialist for advice.

This article reviews the common gastrointestinal tract (GIT) conditions that can affect children reviewing the conditions, their usual treatments, and how they can influence the mouth and the oral environment. This article will review how the different conditions may produce oral symptoms and signs. The management of the oral problems and appropriate photographs are covered well in other texts and will not be included here.

The mouth is a specialised part of the GIT and can be involved in or affected by many of the diseases encountered in other GIT regions.