Celiac disease: relationship between gluten and teeth to detect it
More than 450,000 people in Spain suffer from celiac disease and our teeth can serve as an alert to know if we suffer from it. Celiac disease is an immune pathology caused by gluten in people genetically susceptible to it. It is characterized by an inflammatory reaction in the small intestine, preventing absorption of nutrients.
Celiacos: the relationship between teeth and gluten
Our mouth can tell us if you suffer from celiac disease, because, although it may not seem so, celiac disease also harms oral health. In childhood you can begin to see signs of being celiac, because defects in the enamel are one of the first symptoms that appear in children. How to know if children can have defects in the enamel?
"It is very simple, if the child tends to have a lot of cavities, despite having a normal hygiene, if there is a certain discoloration in the enamel (such as yellow or brownish white spots) and if your teeth are usually broken or chipped, you should probably Because your tooth enamel is deficient, the small gluten intolerant do not absorb all the necessary nutrients, and this is reflected in our mouths: higher levels of plaque, discolored teeth due to bad mineralization and therefore a much stronger enamel layer They are also weaker in the face of external aggressions, they also tend to suffer from more dental sensitivity due to all of the above and have a greater predisposition to suffer from gingival diseases, "affirms Iván Malagón.
If the disease develops in the adult stage, with all the teeth and molars already formed, we can also detect it: "The discoloration of the teeth is not so characteristic because of that lack of nutrients when the teeth are formed, but it will be appreciated Greater predisposition to caries and gum problems, sores and inflamed tongue are also other symptoms that can be experienced both as a child and in adulthood. Add Malagón.
How gluten intolerance manifests
It can manifest in many ways, but the most common are symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, weight loss, fatigue, etc. There are cases of asymptomatic people who suffer from this disease, which makes diagnosis very difficult. More and more people are diagnosed with celiac disease, but according to the data, it is still an underdiagnosed disease (around 75% of those who suffer from it).
The treatment consists of eating a gluten-free diet for life, that is, mostly foods of natural origin, avoiding the elaborated in an industrial way, since it is easier to use gluten in its preparation. Increasingly, society is aware of this disease and a wide range of gluten-free foods are available, so that it is not a difficult task to find them and that celiacs can have a normal life.
Solutions for celiacs
- The first thing is to do the tests to really prove that you are allergic to gluten or intolerant.
- Once diagnosed the source of these problems, the solution is always to follow a gluten-free diet.
- It will also be necessary to solve the oral problems that have been caused (tooth decay, chipped teeth ...).
- On many occasions the dentist can notice before us that we are celiac due to the symptoms and refer us to the specialist so that we can make sure the tests.
Once again, this is another reason, so as not to neglect the visits to the dentist, since oral health is very linked to health in general.
Angela Cantó
Advice: Dr. Iván Malagón, by Iván Malagón * Clinic
