Dental erosion in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease [GERD] in a sample of patients referred to the Motahari clinic, Shiraz, Iran

Statement of Problem: Systematic reviews of the literature show that the dental erosion is associated with the gastroesophageal reflux disease [GERD]. The prevalence of the problem may not be exclusively similar in different countries

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the association of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease [GERD] with dental erosion in a sample of Iranian population regarding the standing difference in the Iranian oral hygiene and diet

Materials and Method: 140 patients with the average age of 30 to 50 years old comprised the study group. The participants were already eligible for the endoscopy examination, diagnosed by their gastroenterologist. All patients completed a detailed questionnaire regarding the medical and dental situations. After completing the questionnaire and before endoscopy, dental examination was performed by two blinded dentists. The endoscopy was then performed by a gastroenterologist and the patients were divided into three groups of healthy, suspected to GERD, and positive GERD. Data were collected and analysed by Chi- Square test. The cross tabulation test was performed to compare the qualitative variants and discover the correlations. The statistical significance was adopted as p < 0.05

Results: The prevalence of dental erosion in GERD patients [22.6%] was found to be higher than the suspected [5.3%] and the healthy [7%] individuals

Conclusion: This study declared the GERD patients are at higher risk of developing dental erosion compared to the healthy individuals in a sample of Iranian population

Prevalence and quality of life in Qashqai migrating nomads with irritable bowel syndrome in southern Iran

Irritable Bowel Syndrome [IBS] is an important public health problem, owing both to its high prevalence and its impact on the quality of life. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of IBS and its relationship to life style in Qashqai migrating nomads with a different lifestyle in Fars province, southern Iran. In summer 2006, 748 Qashqai migrating nomads aged 25 years or more were enrolled, using a multiple-stage stratified cluster random sampling method. A questionnaire consisting of demographic data and IBS symptoms was completed for each subject. For about 50% of them, SF 36 questionnaire was also completed. The prevalence rate of IBS was 11.8% and there was a close relationship between IBS and the life quality. The prevalence of IBS in Qashqai migrating nomads was higher than the urban population in the area with a close relationship to the life quality