Erosive tooth wear: Knowledge among young adults and their preferred information sources.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to learn more about levels of knowledge relating to erosive tooth wear and about the most desirable way of disseminating dental information among young adults. METHODS: The research was a cross-sectional study of 331 young adults (20-25 years old) attending 25 dental care practices. Participants were asked to fill out a questionnaire with questions about their background, knowledge relating to erosive tooth wear and the preferred way of acquiring information about erosive tooth wear. RESULTS: The results showed that there are gaps in the knowledge of young adults about erosive tooth wear. The knowledge score depended on educational level and dental information received in the past. The preferred way of acquiring information was chairside information from an oral health care professional complemented by tailored information in writing. CONCLUSION: There is a lack of knowledge among young adults about erosive tooth wear. They prefer to receive information from the oral health care professionals accompanied by tailored information in writing. Further research should focus on developing this tailored information in line with the advice given by the oral health care professional.

Dental erosion in patients seeking treatment for gastrointestinal complaints: a case series.

INTRODUCTION: Eating disorders which embrace anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and eating disorders not otherwise specified can be life-threatening due to general medical complications; however, the diagnosis of eating disorder is often delayed due to a low suspicion index. Gastroenterologists are health care providers who may come into contact with patients with undiagnosed eating disorders; it has been previously demonstrated that patients with eating disorders frequently have a significant association with functional dyspepsia. Signs of dental erosion have been described in patients with eating disorders; hence, they may help to identify eating disorders in patients who present with functional dyspepsia and deny having an eating disorder. CASE PRESENTATION: In this report we describe three cases (a 25-year-old white woman, a 24-year-old white woman, and a 40-year-old white man) with undiagnosed eating disorders, in which a more comprehensive approach, such as the recognition of dental erosion joined with a careful gastrointestinal investigation, was performed to reach a final diagnosis of an eating disorder. CONCLUSIONS: The screening for dental erosion in patients seeking or receiving medical treatment for dyspeptic symptoms in a gastrointestinal out-patient clinic could be an aid for gastroenterologists to recognize the presence of an underlying eating disorder. A close collaboration with dentists, in addition to psychiatrists, could provide a more favorable treatment outcome.

Tooth erosion awareness in a Brazilian dental school.

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to assess awareness and attitudes related to tooth erosion among dental students, patients, and faculty members in a Brazilian dental school. Data were collected by means of a self-applied questionnaire that was distributed among 298 participants. The response rate was 89.6 percent. Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were used for statistical analysis (p<0.05). The majority of the participants had heard about erosion (72.9 percent), with lower percentages among the patients (p<0.001). In total, 74.9 percent believe that sugar can contribute to erosion (p=0.004). Almost 30 percent of the students did not know if they had had a patient with erosion, and 73.1 percent reported they were not advised by their clinical supervisor to examine their patients for tooth erosion (p=0.138). Concerning the faculty, 23.6 percent of them along with 61.5 percent of the students did not feel prepared to diagnose the condition (p<0.001). Reducing the consumption of acidic drinks was the practice most frequently mentioned as recommended to prevent erosion (89.6 percent). Knowledge about tooth erosion was not as widely evident as it should be in this sample, suggesting the need for better understanding and communication in this important area of oral health care.

Dental tooth surface loss and quality of life in university students.

AIM: To determine the relationship between toothwear into dentine and oral health-related quality of life impacts in a sample of university students not attending for dental treatment. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of 1010 university students was undertaken. Clinical examination, including the Smith & Knight (1984) index of tooth erosion, was performed and completion of the Oral Health Impact Profile-49 (OHIP-49) measure of oral health-related quality of life was arranged. RESULTS: Seventy-seven per cent of the students had at least one tooth with tooth surface loss into dentine. Overall OHIP scores were similar for individuals with different levels of severity of tooth surface loss. Individuals with severe tooth surface loss were more likely to report that their appearance had been affected by, and that they had felt self-conscious because of, the condition of their mouth and teeth. CONCLUSIONS: Tooth surface loss into dentine was prevalent among the young adults who were examined in this study. They reported that it had little impact on oral health-related quality of life at the non-clinical levels seen in this study.

Tooth erosion with low severity does not impact child oral health-related quality of life.

BACKGROUND: Prevalence data about tooth erosion has attracted increasing attention in the dental community; however, no study has addressed the impact of this condition on child oral health-related quality of life (COHRQoL). This study assessed the impact of tooth erosion on COHRQoL. METHODS: This study followed a cross-sectional design, with a multistage random sample of 944 11- to 14-year-old children representative of Santa Maria, a southern city in Brazil. They were examined for recording the prevalence and severity of tooth erosion by 2 examiners. Children completed the Brazilian version of Child Perceptions Questionnaire (CPQ(11-14)) and data about socioeconomic variables of the target population were collected by means of a structured questionnaire. The Poisson regression model using robust variance was performed to assess the association between the predictor variables and the outcomes. RESULTS: Prevalence of tooth erosion (7.2%) and severity were low. Poisson regression models showed a distinct gradient in mean CPQ(11-14) scores by socioeconomic indicators. Children with tooth erosion with low levels of severity did not report higher means in the total scores or domains of CPQ(11-14). CONCLUSION: The presence of tooth erosion of low severity did not have a significant negative impact on the children's perception of oral health or on their daily performance.

Dietary behavior and knowledge of dental erosion among Chinese adults.

OBJECTIVES: To study the dietary behavior and knowledge about dental erosion and self-reported symptoms that can be related to dental erosion among Chinese adults in Hong Kong. METHODS: Chinese adults aged 25-45 years were randomly selected from a list of registered telephone numbers generated by computer. A telephone survey was administered to obtain information on demographic characteristics, dietary habits, dental visits, and knowledge of and presence of self-reported symptoms that can be related to dental erosion. RESULTS: A total of 520 participants were interviewed (response rate, 75%; sampling error, +/- 4.4%) and their mean age was 37. Most respondents (79%) had ever had caries, and about two thirds (64%) attended dental check-ups at least once a year. Respondents had a mean of 5.4 meals per day and 36% had at least 6 meals per day. Fruit (89%) and lemon tea/water (41%) were the most commonly consumed acidic food and beverage. When asked if they ever noticed changes in their teeth, most respondents (92%) said they had experienced change that can be related to erosion. However, many (71%) had never heard about dental erosion and 53% mixed up dental erosion with dental caries. CONCLUSION: Hong Kong Chinese adults have frequent intake of food and many have experienced symptoms that can be related to dental erosion. Their level of awareness of and knowledge about dental erosion is generally low, despite most of them have regular dental check-ups. Dental health education is essential to help the public understand dental erosion and its damaging effects.

Impact of tooth wear on daily living.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to identify the effects of tooth wear on patients' quality of life and satisfaction with their dentition. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-six tooth wear patients and 76 control subjects were recruited for the study. A Dental Impact on Daily Living questionnaire was used to assess the affect of tooth wear on daily living and satisfaction with the dentition. An ordinal scale was used to assess the severity of tooth wear in a patient cohort. RESULTS: The results showed that tooth wear has a measurable impact on patients' satisfaction with their appearance, pain levels, oral comfort, general performance, and chewing and eating capacity (P < .001). CONCLUSION: Tooth wear has an impact on patients' satisfaction with their dentition regardless of tooth wear severity or personal factors.

Awareness of tooth erosion in 12 year old children and primary care dental practitioners.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the knowledge of tooth erosion in a sample of 12 year old children with that of the dentists responsible for their care and also to compare the giving and receiving of advice concerning erosion. METHOD: A random sample of 1753 children from all 62 state maintained schools in Leicestershire completed questionnaires. Questionnaires were also sent to the 257 General Dental Practitioners in Leicestershire. RESULTS: 1686 (96.2%) of children and 227 (82.5%) of dentists returned forms that could be analysed. 36% of dentists reported that they frequently noticed erosion on the teeth of their patients but 67.7% of dentists believed that less than 25% of 12 year olds had any erosion. 67.5% of dentists advised their patients about erosion only occasionally or rarely. Only 34.2% of the children had heard of tooth erosion and only 8.4% could recall their dentist mentioning the condition. 40% of children believed that the best way to avoid erosion was regular tooth brushing. CONCLUSION: The levels of awareness were low for both dentists and patients and the messages that were given by dentists were either forgotten or misunderstood by the children, or they were incorrect. Better communication and understanding is needed in this important area.

Associations between occupational health behaviors and occupational dental erosion.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the associations between occupational health behaviors and occupational dental erosion. METHODS: Using data for 943 workers among 34 factories, selected by three-stage stratified cluster sampling from 888 factories using acids, two sets of modified case-control studies were performed. The cases were 242 workers with any dental erosion (G1-5) and 78 with severe dental erosion (G3-5); the controls were 701 workers with no erosion (GO) and 864 workers with no or mild erosion grades, GO-2, respectively. The main explanatory variables were behaviors such as wearing a respiratory mask and gargling at work. The results were adjusted for employment, age, sex, knowledge, and opinion about occupational health, attrition, and abrasion. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted. RESULTS: The odds of overall occupational dental erosion (G1-5) was 0.63 (95% CI = 0.42, 0.94) for respiratory mask wearers compared to nonwearers; the odds of severe occupational dental erosion (G3-5) was not significantly less in respiratory mask wearers (OR = 0.94; 95% CI = 0.53, 1.67). Gargling did not show a significant association with occupational dental erosion in this study. CONCLUSIONS: Among occupational health behaviors, wearing personal protective respiratory masks in work was significantly associated with less overall occupational dental erosion.

Dental erosion and soft drinks: a qualitative assessment of knowledge, attitude and behaviour using focus groups of schoolchildren. A preliminary study.

OBJECTIVES: This qualitative study was designed to record the perception by Newcastle children of the influences on their choice of drinks and their knowledge of the dental health problems caused by acidic drinks. METHODS: Four focus groups, each involving 8 Newcastle schoolchildren (4 boys and 4 girls) formed the basis of the study. Two age groups, 13-14-year-olds and 8-9-year-olds, and two socio-economic groups were investigated, using state schools in Newcastle upon Tyne. A moderator guided the children to discuss their choice of drink and its dental effects amongst themselves. RESULTS: In total, 32 children participated in the focus groups and the results suggested that 8-9-year-olds preferred still, fruit-flavoured drinks whilst 13-14-year-olds preferred carbonated drinks. Taste was the most important influence on drink choice in all age groups. Parents and friends were more influential in younger children, whilst cost, availability and thirst were more important to older children. Younger children did not believe advertisements whilst older children thought they might work if seen enough times. Dental knowledge was confused in all age groups and only the 13-14-year-old-high socio-economic groups knew that acidic drinks were bad for the teeth. Different methods for addressing the problem of erosion were suggested by different age groups. There was very little difference between the socio-economic groups in the areas discussed. CONCLUSIONS: The children's knowledge of dental diseases and the effect of drinks on the teeth were confused. The factors that influence drink choice appear to change with age, rather than socio-economic status.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease and dental erosion in children.

Recurrent exposure to gastric acid as in children with bulimia and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) may contribute to dental erosion. We performed a prospective study to evaluate the presence of GERD and dental erosions in children with primary and permanent dentition. Children undergoing elective endoscopy for possible GERD (n = 37) underwent evaluation of their teeth for the presence, severity, and pattern of erosion and stage of dentition: 24 patients had GERD. Dental erosions were identified in 20; all had GERD. Erosion patterns showed more involvement of the posterior teeth. Many affected patients had primary dentition.

Perimólise: etiologia, diagnóstico e prevençäo / Perimolysis: etiology, diagnosis and prevention

A erosäo dentária é causada por substâncias ácidas que entram em contato com os dentes com freqüência. Quando a erosäo é provocada por vômitos e regurgitaçöes crônicas do conteúdo ácido do estômago, o quadro odontológico é conhecido como "perimólise" e pode levar a perdas severas de esmalte e dentina, principalmente nas superfícies palatinas, linguais e oclusais. Este artigo apresenta uma revisäo de literatura a respeito dos vários distúrbios sistêmicos que podem levar à perimólise e reúne os diferentes aspectos relacionados à sua etiologia, diagnóstico diferencial, prevençäo e tratamento

Retrospective audit of patients with advanced toothwear restored with removable partial dentures.

The dental records of 50 patients with advanced tooth wear restored with removable prostheses were examined. Retrospective data were collected with regard to source of referral, presenting complaint, aetiological factors, clinical features, dentures provided, details of failures and maintenance. The maximum follow up period was three years. The ratio of male to female patients was 4:1 and the age range 31-75 years. Failures were recorded in 38% of patients with provisional and 64% with definitive dentures. The most common failure was fracture or wear of the incisal or occlusal surfaces. The majority of failures were addressed by adjustment of the dentures and the audit confirmed the need for regular maintenance.

Toothwear histories: a sensitive issue.

Wear of the surface of the teeth is a natural consequence of ageing, but various conditions can render it pathological. In this article the authors describe two strategies for obtaining sensitive, personal information from patients who may be reluctant to disclose such details to a stranger.