Effects of cystic fibrosis on the oral cavity

Cystic fibrosis is a complex, lethal, multi-system autosomal recessive disease resulting from mutations on chromosome 7 that cause dysfunction of an ion channel located on epithelial surfaces. Pulmonary disease is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in CF. The specific dental manifestations of the disease may result from the condition itself or from complications of treatment. This study presents the dental problems observed in patients with cystic fibrosis and reported in the literature. Particular attention was paid to dental caries, disturbances in the mineralization of hard dental tissues, gingivitis and changes in the content and properties of saliva.