[Oral manifestations of Crohn's disease]. / Orale manifestaties van de ziekte van Crohn.

Gastrointestinal symptoms are predominant in Crohn's disease. Oral manifestations may also occur. The prevalence of oral manifestations varies between 0.5% and 37%. The manifestations may coincide with or precede gastrointestinal symptoms, and can be subdivided into specific and non-specific lesions. In most patients, lesions are asymptomatic but some patients experience serious discomfort. Oral manifestations can be classified as specific lesions, such as diffuse lip and buccal swelling and cobblestones, and non-specific lesions, such as aphthous ulcers, pyostomatitis vegetans, caries, gingivitis and periodontitis. In many patients, these oral symptoms do not cause pain or discomfort and do not require treatment. For patients who do experience discomfort, pain caused by aphthous ulcers, for example, can be relieved with a lidocaine solution or a 0.1% dexamethasone gel, and corticosteroids can be used to treat pain caused by ulceration or cobblestoning. It is advisable in complex cases to consult the patient's gastroenterologist.

[Oral manifestations of ulcerative colitis]. / Orale manifestaties van colitis ulcerosa.

Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory bowel disease occurring relatively frequently in industrialised regions of the world. Pyostomatitis vegetans is the most characteristic pathognomonic oral manifestation but other oral abnormalities like aphthous lesions, caries and periodontitis are more prevalent in patients with ulcerative colitis. Oral care providers must be aware of these problems if they are to provide adequate oral care.

Gastrointestinal diseases and their oro-dental manifestations: Part 2: Ulcerative colitis.

Ulcerative colitis is a rather common inflammatory bowel disease, especially in the industrialised world. A limited number of studies have reported the prevalence of oral signs and symptoms in these patients, and widely varying prevalence rates have been reported ranging from 2 to 34%. Pyostomatitis vegetans is the most pathognomonic oral sign but also other abnormalities as oral ulcerations, caries and periodontitis are more often seen in patients with ulcerative colitis. In this review we describe the oral manifestations of ulcerative colitis and their potential dental implications.

Gastrointestinal diseases and their oro-dental manifestations: Part 1: Crohn's disease.

Widely varying prevalence rates of oral lesions in patients with Crohn's disease have been reported, ranging from 0.5% to 37%. These manifestations may coincide with or precede intestinal symptoms. Oral manifestations can be classified as specific lesions, when macroscopic examination shows similar changes to those observed endoscopically in the intestine, and non-specific lesions including aphthous ulcerations. The most frequently observed oral lesions are oedema, ulcers and hyperplastic lesions on the buccal mucosa. In most patients these lesions are asymptomatic, however, some patients may experience discomfort. In this review we describe the most relevant oro-dental manifestations observed in patients with Crohn's disease and discuss the potential implications for oro-dental management.