Association between bariatric surgery and oral health: a literature review

Abstract

Objective: to review the literature on the relationship between oral health and bariatric surgery in obese individuals. Methods: articles published until March 2021 were searched in the Medline/PubMed, LILACS, BBO, and Web of Science databases. The search used a combination of descriptors related to the words: obesity, bariatric surgery, and oral health. Results: one hundred thirty-five studies were identified in the database search. Of these, 47 were included in this review. The oral changes investigated in the literature for individuals who underwent bariatric surgery were dental caries, tooth wear/erosion, hypersensitivity, periodontal disease, hyposalivation, halitosis, and changes in mastication and oral soft tissue. The evaluated articles showed methodological controversy regarding the study design, follow-up period, sample size, and assessed clinical parameters, which complicated the comparison of studies. Final considerations: there is no consensus in the literature regarding the relationship between oral health and bariatric surgery in obese individuals. Further prospective cohort studies should be conducted to investigate this association better.Keywords: obesity; bariatric surgery; oral health; dental erosion; dental caries.