So, you think you have acid reflux?  What is acid reflux?  Why is it called acid reflux?

A new laparoscopic therapy for reflux has been recently approved for the treat of reflux.  The procedure requires laparoscopic surgery (small incisions in the abdomen) in order to place this new device at the level of the lower esophageal sphincter.  Certain limitations will occur as the result of this procedure as will be discussed.

Several news agencies recently reported concerns of the FDA over the increased risk of Clostridium difficle diarrheal illness in patients using acid lowering antireflux drugs in the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

A six-month follow up of 12 people with GERD and six others who were not suffering from the condition showed that those with acid reflux had much worse tooth wear and erosion. 

Tooth erosion may naturally occur due to chewing but about half of GERD patients had tooth wear and erosion several times higher than the healthy counterparts, says the report inJournal of the American Dental Association. 

The acid from the stomach is strong enough “to dissolve the tooth surface directly, or soften the tooth surface, which is later worn down layer by layer,” said lead author Dr. Daranee Tantbirojn of the University of Tennessee. 

“The damage from acid reflux looks like tooth wear -- the tooth is flattened, thin, sharp or has a crater or cupping.” 

Saliva acts as a defense mechanism because its buffering capacity helps protecting teeth in neutralizing acid, but it cannot fully protect teeth against all acid condition in mouth formed after eating and drinking or due to acid reflux from stomach. 

Researchers suggested people with acid reflux to follow some measures to lower their teeth damage. They, for instance, should avoid brushing their teeth immediately after an acid reflux episode and use a fluoride rinse instead. 

Using Xylitol chewing gum and taking baking soda or antacids after acid reflux episodes can also protect teeth against erosion. 

Study: Acid Reflux on the Rise

Obesity Increase Likely to Blame, Researchers Say

By Salynn Boyles

On September 7th and October 13th, 2011, the first two combined laparoscopic and transoral antireflux procedures were performed at the New York Univerisity Langone Medical Center in New York City.

In a retrospective study from Japan, the chronic use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), often used in the treatment of GERD, was found to be associated with a greater than 3-fold increased risk of developing Clostridium difficile–associated diarrhea (CDAD), Takatoshi Kitazawa, MD, assistant professor at Teikyo University in Tokyo, Japan, reported during a poster session at the 51st Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.

 
A report was published in the May 18 issue ofA report was published in the May 18 issue of Journal of the American Medical Association. In, what is referred to as the LOTUS (Long-Term Usage of Esomeprazole vs Surgery for Treatment of Chronic GERD) study, remission rates at five years were 92% (95% CI 89 to 96) for patients on esomeprazole and 85% (95% CI 81 to 90, P=0.048) for those who had laparoscopic antireflux surgery, according to Jean-Paul Galmiche, MD, of Nantes University in France, and colleagues. 

Over the last few years, new studies have been released that indicate that the long-term use of PPI drugs to treat GERD may be detrimental to some patients. Most recently, the FDA warned that long-term use of PPI’s can be linked to magnesium depletion. See below: