Association between gastric reflux, obesity and erosive tooth wear among psychiatric patients

The prevalence of erosive tooth wear and obesity are high in psychiatric patients and soft drink consumption is a common risk factor associated with both diseases. This study aimed to assess the association between soft drink consumption, gastric reflux, erosive tooth wear, and obesity among resident patients at the Psychiatric Hospital, Taif, Saudi Arabia. This descriptive, cross-sectional study included 223 adult psychiatric inpatients (126 male, 97 female) with a mean age of 42.3 years (± 2.2). Dental erosion detection was performed according to World Health Organization criteria. The medical evaluation included assessment of the body mass index (BMI). With appropriate sample weighting, relationships between erosive tooth wear, gastric reflux, and obesity were assessed using multivariable logistic regression. Ninety eight patients (43.9%) presented with erosive tooth wear. The mean BMI for the entire study population was 27.7 ± 6.3 kg/m(2). Regression analysis showed a strong association between erosive tooth wear and chronic vomiting or bulimia (adjusted odds ratio = 2.11; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.98–5.07, P < .001), gastric reflux (adjusted odds ratio = 2.13; 95% CI = 1.34–6.23, P < .001), consumption of soft drinks (adjusted odds ratio = 2.14; 95% CI = 1.03–6.08, P < .001), and schizophrenia and delusional disorders (adjusted odds ratio = 2.07; 95% CI = 1.98–5.08, P < .001). This study demonstrates a significant association between erosive tooth wear prevalence and chronic vomiting or bulimia, consumption of soft drinks, and gastric reflux among resident patients at psychiatric hospital.