Dental complications following restrictive bariatric surgery

Background: The medical literature has inadequately reported the potential deleterious effects on dental health of bariatric surgery. Acidic levels in the oral cavity, which are known to be one of the post-operative side effects of bariatric surgery, are directly related to dental caries and erosion of teeth. Objectives: investigation of self-assessment of post operative bariatric patients regarding their dental health and associated variables. Methods: 113 patients (25% compliance), who had been operated on at three Jerusalem hospitals, responded to a mailed questionnaire. Results: Patients' average age was 40±10 years and the bariatric surgery had been performed 5±4 years ago. 37% reported eating sweeter foods, 20% reported improved oral hygiene and only 34% reported increased frequency of dental visits after the surgery. 37% reported more hyper-sensitivity of teeth after surgery. Significant associations were found between reported dental hyper-sensitivity and vomiting (p=0.013), dental hyper-sensitivity and indigestion (p=0.021). Patients from the different hospitals reported different patterns of visiting the dentist. The most common variable (80% of the subjects) associated with visiting the dentist after surgery was dental hyper-sensitivity. Conclusion: These results clearly demonstrate that the medical team needs to relate to potential dental problems after bariatric surgery, and to supply their patients with the appropriate information. Instruction regarding oral hygiene maintenance, healthy diet patterns and regular dental health monitoring by a dentist or dental hygienist are of paramount importance.