Dental maturity in children with celiac disease: a case-control study

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Dentistry
• Gastroenterology
• Genetics

Background:

• Celiac disease (CD) is an immune-mediated enteropathy triggered by gluten in genetically susceptible individuals.
• Oral manifestations are common in CD, but data on dental maturity (DM) is limited.
• This study investigates DM prevalence and predictors in children with CD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the prevalence of delayed dental maturity in children diagnosed with celiac disease.
• To identify potential predictors of dental maturity variations in pediatric CD patients.
• To compare dental maturity between celiac disease patients and healthy controls.

Main Methods:

• A case-control study involving 104 children with CD and 104 healthy controls (2017-2020).
• Panoramic radiography and oral examinations were conducted.
• Dental age was assessed using Demirjian's method; dental maturity was calculated as Dental Age minus Chronological Age.

Main Results:

• CD patients showed a significantly higher prevalence of delayed dental maturity (62.5%) compared to controls (3%).
• The delay in dental maturity was more pronounced in CD patients (-7.94 years) than in controls (6.99 years).
• Multivariate analysis identified age between 6 and 7 years as the only significant predictor for delayed dental maturity.

Conclusions:

• Children with celiac disease demonstrate a substantially increased prevalence of delayed dental maturity.
• Young age is identified as the primary predictor influencing dental maturity in this cohort.
• Further research may explore the specific mechanisms linking CD to delayed dental development.