Dental maturity in children with celiac disease: a case-control study

Background Celiac disease (CD) is an immune-related enteropathy triggered by gluten ingestion in susceptible individuals. Oral manifestations of CD have been frequently described, although reports on dental maturity (DM) are scant. Thus, the aim of this study is to assess the prevalence of DM in CD patients and to test for possible predictors. Methods This is a case-control study of children with CD and healthy controls between 2017 and 2020. A panoramic radiograph and comprehensive oral examination were performed for each participant. Dental age (DA) was measured according to Demirjian's method and DM was calculated by subtracting the chronological age (CA) from the DA. Statistical analysis was performed to compare the DM between CD patients and controls, and a multivariate analysis was utilized to look for predictors of DM. Results Two-hundred and eight participants (104 children with CD, and 104 healthy controls) were incorporated. The mean age for CD patients was 10.67 +/- 2.40 years, and 10.69 +/- 2.37 years for healthy controls (P = 0.971). CD patients had a higher prevalence of delayed DM than controls (62.5% vs. 3%, respectively). They also had a greater delay in DM than controls (- 7.94 +/- 10.94 vs. 6.99 +/- 8.77, P < 0.001). A multivariate analysis identified age between 6 and 7 years (beta +/- SE = 16.21 +/- 2.58, P < 0.001), as the only predictor for DM. Conclusions CD patients had a greater prevalence of delayed DM than controls. No predictors for DM could be found, except young age.