Dental and periodontal involvement in patients with laryngopharyngeal reflux

Little is known about the relationship between laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) and periodontal or dental lesions. This study investigates the association of dental and periodontal involvement in patients with LPR compared to a control group. A prospective study was carried out on 102 patients complaining of LPR symptoms. The authors used the Reflux Symptom Index (RFS), Reflux Findings Score (RSI) and 24-h ambulatory pH monitoring to diagnose LPR disease. Two study groups were established, the LPR group included patients with LPR diagnosis and a control group selected from excluded patients. All patients underwent an oral examination for the evaluation of dental and periodontal status. Plaque index, gingival index and hemorrhage index were collected too. LPR was revealed to be associated with both an increased incidence of chronic periodontitis with significantly higher values of plaque index (p=0.018), hemorrhage index (p=0.048) , gingival recession (p=0.039) and higher tooth wear scores when compared to those of the control group. We support the view that laryngopharyngeal reflux might play a considerable role in the manifestation of periodontal and dental lesions.