Dental Enamel Defects Study

Early diagnosis of coeliac disease is important considering the lifelong effects of coeliac disease, such as 3-fold increased risk of autoimmune disease e.g., type 1 diabetes, osteoporosis, malignancy and a decreased quality of life.

Underachievement in education and working life, including a lower likelihood of obtaining a university is also more common in coeliac disease sufferers. Compounding this, there is often a long delay between presentation with symptoms of coeliac disease and diagnosis, with the progression of unrecognised ill health.  It is known that coeliac disease can cause developmental defects of tooth enamel in children.

In 2022, Dr Daveson and Dr Ford co-designed a study framework in consultation with dental clinics to ensure that the study complies with the highest ethical standards, given families are often distressed by dental visits for their children in early life.

Hence, Dr Daveson and his team at Wesley Research Institute are working closely with a paediatric dentist, Dr Daniel Ford (specialist in enamel defects), to investigate the incidence of coeliac disease in patients presenting with dental enamel defects.

300 children with developmental defects of tooth enamel, presenting in a paediatric dental clinic will be invited to undergo a point of care test which provides a 95% specificity to provide a result for coeliac disease in 10 minutes.

This study will hopefully confirm that the dental enamel defects are caused by gluten exposure and an appropriate gluten-free diet regimen would reverse the defect in these children.

Uniquely, this study is also an opportunity to establish and validate a screening program that offers accurate and cost-effective testing that can be applied in dental clinics across Australia.