Tooth surface loss: causes, management, and prevention.

OBJECTIVES: Tooth wear, also referred to as tooth surface loss, occurs due to causes other than caries. This involves the loss of hard tissues, namely enamel, dentin, and/or cementum. Types of tooth wear/tooth surface loss are abrasion, abfraction, attrition, and erosion. These multifactorial conditions can be caused by factors such as lifestyle, diet, or even habits, and may not be symptomatic. The focus of this article is to provide clinicians with detailed examples and explanations of the causes of tooth loss to aid in early diagnosis. Through early identification, the preventive measures outlined can be implemented to avoid excessive tooth wear. The provision of a treatment flowchart and general treatment recommendations aims to help clinicians determine when to restore these lesions and the most appropriate treatment measures for the four types of wear. METHOD AND MATERIALS: The PubMed (MEDLINE) search engine was used to gather information on teeth restricted to a 5-year period (26 August 2018 to 25 July 2022). Only English-language studies and reviews with the best balance of sensitivity and specificity were considered. A Boolean search of the PubMed dataset was implemented to combine a range of keywords: ("tooth wear" OR tooth attrition OR tooth erosion OR tooth abrasion OR tooth abfraction). Additional articles were selected through Google Scholar. RESULTS: By this process, many articles and studies were obtained, and the 48 most relevant published studies were chosen and used in the current review. CONCLUSION: Tooth wear affects an increasing number of individuals and can have detrimental effects physically, mentally, and emotionally. It is important to stress early diagnosis and management of tooth wear through monitoring, prevention, and treatment where indicated.

Epidemiology, aetiology and prevention of tooth wear.

Tooth wear is a commonly reported finding globally; however, many patients are unaware of having tooth wear. Identifying early signs of erosion, abrasion or attrition and determining the risk factors contributing to a patient's tooth wear may help to prevent further loss of enamel and dentine in the future. Appropriate prevention should be instigated, or appropriate referral made to other health professionals, when conditions such as gastroesophageal reflux or eating disorders are suspected. This paper presents the epidemiology and aetiological factors for tooth wear, as well as identifying the common clinical presentations of tooth wear. Patient perspectives on tooth wear and preventive techniques that can be utilised are also discussed.

Effect of fluoride group on dental erosion associated or not with abrasion in human enamel: A systematic review with network metanalysis.

OBJECTIVES: This systematic review evaluated the efficacy of monovalent and polyvalent fluoride group compared to the non-fluoride group on the prevention of enamel erosion associated or not with abrasion in in situ studies. DESIGN: This review was registered in the PROSPERO (CRD42017071118) and followed PRISMA 2020 guidelines. A systematic and comprehensive search was performed using PUBMED, WEB OF SCIENCE, SCOPUS, EMBASE, BBO, LILACS, SCIELO, and grey literature IBICT-BDTD. All in situ and ex vivo studies of erosion and erosion/abrasion tooth wear were included, with no language or date restrictions. RESULTS: 730 studies were obtained and after exclusion of duplicates, 311 were included for title and abstract reading. Two independent authors (kappa= 0.98) systematically conducted the selection phase. Considering the eligibility criteria and after full-text reading, 19 studies were included in qualitative and quantitative analysis. CONCLUSION: Network metanalysis showed that polyvalent fluoride group, especially Sn-compounded, prevented enamel wear by erosion and erosion/abrasion compared to the non-fluoride group and monovalent fluoride group. Both low and high concentration monovalent fluoride group were not able to prevent erosion wear associated or not with abrasion. Sensitivity analysis of the network metanalysis was performed with the low risk of bias studies and the results were confirmed. There is robust evidence that stannous-compounded fluoridated and titanium tetrafluoride agents are effective in preventing erosion and erosion/abrasion compared to the non-fluoride group and other interventions.

Effect of the toothbrush tuft arrangement and bristle stiffness on the abrasive dentin wear.

The geometrical properties of toothbrushes play a role in developing abrasive tooth wear and non-carious cervical lesions. This study investigated the interplay between the toothbrush tuft arrangement (crossed vs. parallel) and bristle stiffness (soft vs. medium) on the abrasive dentin wear using three slurries with different levels of abrasivity (RDA: 67, 121 and 174). Twelve groups of bovine dentin samples (n = 20) were brushed with a combination of the aforementioned variables. Abrasive dentin wear was recorded with a profilometer and the resulting abrasive wear of each group was calculated and compared with each other using two-way ANOVA and pairwise tests. Toothbrushes with parallel tuft arrangement caused statistically significantly higher dentin wear compared to crossed tuft arrangement, regardless of the abrasivity level of the used slurry and the bristle stiffness. Soft crossed tuft toothbrushes caused statistically significantly higher abrasive dentin wear than medium crossed tuft toothbrushes, while soft and medium parallel tuft toothbrushes caused the same amounts of dentin wear, regardless of the RDA value of the used slurry. These results could be helpful for dentists and dental hygienists when advising patients. Crossed tuft toothbrushes could be a less-abrasive choice in comparison to parallel tuft toothbrushes.

Interplay between different manual toothbrushes and brushing loads on erosive tooth wear.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of different types of manual toothbrushes and brushing loads on the progression of erosive tooth wear (ETW) on enamel. METHODS: Bovine enamel specimens (n = 10) were submitted to a 5-day erosive-abrasive cycling model (0.3 % citric acid for 5 min, artificial saliva for 60 min, 4x/day). Toothbrushing was carried out 2x/day for 15 s, according to the toothbrushes tested (ultra-soft (a): Curaprox 5460; ultra-soft (b): Sensodyne Repair & Protect; soft (a): Colgate Slim Soft; soft (b): Oral-B Indicator Plus; medium: Johnson's Professional; hard: Tek) and brushing loads (1.5 N, 3 N). Surface loss (SL, in µm) was assessed by optical profilometry on conclusion of the cycling. Some of the toothbrush characteristics were evaluated. Data were statistically analyzed (α = 0.05). RESULTS: For the 1.5 N load, the hard brush showed the highest SL value, with statistical significance. The other toothbrushes did not differ significantly, except that ultra-soft (a) caused significantly higher SL than ultra-soft (b). For the 3 N load, hard and soft (a) exhibited the highest SL. Soft (b) and medium had the lowest SL value, with statistical significance. Only soft (a) and ultra-soft (b) showed significant difference between loads, with lower SL for the load of 1.5 N. None of the toothbrush characteristics were significantly correlated with SL. CONCLUSIONS: Although different degrees of enamel surface loss were observed with use of the different toothbrushes, no association was found between the toothbrush characteristics and SL. Depending on the toothbrush, the force of brushing was capable of modulating the ETW of enamel. Based on the brushing loads usually applied by healthy individuals, hard brushes are not recommended for use by patients with ETW. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The use of hard bristle brushes is not recommended for use by individuals who exert healthy forces when brushing their teeth. The toothbrush characteristics are of secondary importance in terms of causing enamel loss in ETW.

Does delayed toothbrushing after the consumption of erosive foodstuffs or beverages decrease erosive tooth wear? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Controversy exists regarding the effectiveness of delayed toothbrushing in decreasing erosive tooth wear (ETW). The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess the effects of delayed toothbrushing on ETW. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted according to the PRISMA statement and registered in PROSPERO (CRD42020200463). PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases were systematically searched with no publication year limits. Screening and data extraction were performed independently by two reviewers. In situ and in vitro studies comparing ETW after delayed and immediate toothbrushing following an erosive attack were included. Review Manager software 5.3 (The Cochrane Collaboration, Oxford, UK) was used for statistical analyses. Heterogeneity was assessed with the Cochran Q test and I2 statistics. RESULTS: Of the 565 potentially relevant studies, 26 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility. Twelve articles were included in the systematic review, and 11 were included in the qualitative analyses. No significant difference in the ETW of human enamel was observed between delayed and immediate toothbrushing (P = 0.13), whereas significantly less ETW of bovine enamel was observed after delayed toothbrushing (P < 0.001). No significant difference in the ETW of bovine dentin was observed between delayed and immediate toothbrushing (P = 0.34). Studies on human dentin were not available. Subgroup analyses revealed a significant contribution of the use of fluoridated toothpaste to decreasing the ETW of human enamel after erosion and toothbrush abrasion (P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Bovine and human teeth behaved differently in response to erosion and toothbrush abrasion. Delayed toothbrushing after an erosive attack was not effective at decreasing the ETW of human enamel compared to immediate toothbrushing, whereas it was effective at decreasing the ETW of bovine enamel. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Delayed toothbrushing alone after the consumption of erosive foodstuffs or beverages is not capable of preventing erosive enamel wear.

A novel cervical tooth wear and recession index, the cervical localisation code, and its application in the prevention and management of dentine hypersensitivity.

OBJECTIVES: To design and validate a new index to assess tooth wear (TW) in the cervical region and its association with gingival recession (GR), for use both in research studies and as resource in General Dental Practice, with focused prevention and management strategiesparticularly related to aetiology of dentine hypersensitivity provided for each Code score. METHODS: Codes to reflect clinical presentations of the cervical region in health and disease recording both TW and GR were defined. Validation of the Code was undertaken by 3 trained examiners who scored buccal and lingual surfaces of eligible teeth in 42 adult healthy volunteers. Each volunteer underwent 4 identical clinical examinations, being assessed twice by the examiner who performed the first and last exam. RESULTS: Cervical Localisation Code definitions were A: no GR, no coronal TW, B: no GR, distinct coronal TW, C: GR but no coronal TW, D: GR with distinct coronal and root TW. For validation 2073 eligible tooth surfaces were scored. There were only 57 within and 201 between examiner disagreements, the most common being between scores C and D. CONCLUSIONS: The Cervical Localisation Code was used reproducibly by three independent examiners. It will provide focussed data on the cervical region in research studies allowing the association of patient reported dietary and lifestyle factors with specific lesion types, and a tool to aid the management of clinical scenarios, specifically those that lead to dentine hypersensitivity in general dental practice. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Exposure of dentine at the cervical margin by TW and/or GR often results in dentine hypersensitivity, however current TW indices do not record TW location or GR presence. The Cervical Localisation Code captures both parameters and suggests likely aetiology for dentine hypersensitivity and guide clinical management of the cervical region.

Effect of silver diamine fluoride on the prevention of erosive tooth wear in vitro.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the ability of silver diamine fluoride (SDF) to prevent erosive tooth wear in enamel and dentin. METHODS: SDF (38 %) was compared to deionized water (DIW, negative control), potassium fluoride (KF, fluoride control), silver nitrate (AgNO3, silver control), and fluoride varnish (FV, clinical reference) using erosion and erosion-abrasion cycling models. Bovine enamel and dentin slabs were embedded in resin blocks. Two resin blocks were glued to form study blocks (n=8, per treatment), one for erosion and the other for the erosion-abrasion model. The blocks were treated once and then subjected to a five-day cycling model, with five daily citric acid erosive challenges (0.3 % citric acid/pH 2.6). Abrasion was performed using a toothbrushing machine with a medium-abrasive silica as abrasive (erosion-abrasion model only). Artificial saliva was used to remineralize the specimens after erosion/abrasion and as storage media between cycles. Surface loss (SL) was determined by non-contact profilometry. Data were analyzed using ANOVA (α=0.05). RESULTS: Both eroded-abraded enamel and dentin specimens exhibited significantly more SL in all treatment groups than the only eroded ones (p<0.001). For dentin, both AgNO3 and DIW groups had significantly more SL than SDF, KF, and FV groups (p<0.001), for both models. For enamel, specimens had more SL in both AgNO3 and DIW groups compared to SDF, KF, and FV groups, in the erosion model. When enamel specimens were subjected to erosion-abrasion, FV resulted in the least SL (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: SDF was effective in reducing dental erosion on both substrates, but dental erosion-abrasion only on dentin. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: SDF may become a viable intervention for ETW prevention in dentin (e.g. exposed roots) once its efficacy has been confirmed under clinical conditions.

Terminology of Erosive Tooth Wear: Consensus Report of a Workshop Organized by the ORCA and the Cariology Research Group of the IADR.

Our understanding of erosive tooth wear and its contributing factors has evolved considerably over the last decades. New terms have been continuously introduced, which frequently describe the same aspects of this condition, whereas other terms are being used inappropriately. This has led to unnecessary confusion and miscommunication between patients, professionals, and researchers. A group of 15 experts, selected by the European Organization for Caries Research (ORCA) and the Cariology Research Group of the International Association for Dental Research (IADR), participated in a 2-day workshop to define the most commonly used terms in erosive tooth wear. A modified Delphi method was utilized to reach consensus. At least 80% agreement was achieved for all terms discussed and their definitions related to clinical conditions and processes, basic concepts, diagnosis, risk, and prevention and management of erosive tooth wear. Use of the terms agreed on will provide a better understanding of erosive tooth wear and intends to enable improved communication on this topic.

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.

Erosive tooth wear-why clinicians should be aware of this condition

Introduction: Erosive tooth wear (ETW) is defined as a chemical-mechanical process leading to the cumulative loss of hard dental tissue without the involvement of bacteria. Objective: to give to clinicians an overview about most important ETW topics. Data source: main scientific data base (PubMed, Lilacs) in the last 10 years, with the keywords: dental erosion, diagnosis and prevention. Classical articles were selected for the realization of an integrative literature review. Data synthesis : the prevalence of ETW has been reported to range from 10% to 80% in children and 4% to 82% in adults. The management of ETW should include early diagnosis, the evaluation of different etiological factors, risk identification and the proposal of preventive measures to avoid the progression of the condition. These measures include fluoride exposure, use of low abrasive toothpastes, clinical monitoring, and in more severe cases sealant application and restorations. Patients suffering from eating disorders with purging behaviour and gastroesophageal reflux disease are considered the most important risk groups. Conclusion : Clinicians should be aware of this condition with growing prevalence, once substance loss is an irreversible condition, providing prompt preventive measures during the early stages that are essential to reduce ETW.

Introdução: O Desgaste Dentário Erosivo é definido como um processo químico- mecânico que leva a uma perda cumulativa de tecido dentário duro, sem que ocorra o envolvimento de bactérias. Objetivo : atualizar os cirurgiões-dentistas sobre os principais tópicos a respeito do Desgaste Dentário Erosivo. Fonte de dados: principais bases científicas (PubMed, Lilacs) nos últimos 10 anos, com as palavras-chave: erosão dentária, diagnóstico e prevenção. Foram selecionados os artigos clássicos sobre o tema para a realização da revisão integrativa de literatura. Síntese de dados : A prevalência de Desgaste Dentário Erosivo tem sido reportada na literatura em porcentagens que variam de 10% a 80% em crianças e de 4% a 82% em adultos. A abordagem clínica do Desgaste Dentário Erosivo deve incluir um diagnóstico precoce, a avaliação dos diferentes fatores etiológicos, a identificação do risco e a proposta de medidas preventivas para retardar a progressão dessa condição. Essas medidas incluem a aplicação de fluoretos, o uso de dentifrícios com baixa abrasividade, monitoramento clínico e, em casos mais graves, a aplicação de selantes e procedimentos restauradores. Pacientes diagnosticados com transtornos alimentares ou com refluxo gastroesofágico são considerados um dos grupos de risco mais importantes para o desenvolvimento dessa condição. Conclusão: Os clínicos devem estar atentos a essa condição de prevalência crescente, uma vez que a perda de estrutura dentária é irreversível, promovendo medidas preventivas eficazes, desde os estágios iniciais, contribuindo assim para o controle e redução do Desgaste Dentário Erosivo entre seus pacientes.

Clinical wear of approximal glass ionomer restorations protected with a nanofilled self-adhesive light-cured protective coating.

OBJECTIVE: High viscous glass ionomer cement (GIC) has gained popularity as a restorative material; however, high wear is pointed as one of the major drawbacks of this material. Protective surface coatings were developed to protect GIC from water contamination with the additional advantage of occluding any surface cracks or porosities commonly found in this material, possibly resulting in an increased wear resistance of the restorations. The objective of this study was to investigate the clinical wear of GIC approximal restorations in primary molars protected either with a nanofilled self-adhesive light-cured protective coating (NPC) or with petroleum jelly. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Approximal caries lesions in primary molars from 32 schoolchildren previously enrolled in another clinical trial were included in this investigation. GIC restorations were performed according to the Atraumatic Restorative Treatment approach and protected with either petroleum jelly or a NPC. Impressions of the restored hemiarch were done after 1 day and 6, 12, 24 and 36 months. The impressions were scanned in a 3-D appliance and the obtained images were superimposed using an appropriate computer software. Two-way ANOVA for repeated measures and Tukey's post-hoc test were used to analyze the wear of restorations (α=5%). RESULTS: A significant difference was found between the two groups, with a wear protection offered by the application of a NPC. Conclusion: These results suggest that the application of a NPC has a protective effect on the clinical wear of approximal GIC restorations in primary teeth.

Unintended changes to the occlusion following the provision of night guards.

A review of the literature on night guards left questions unanswered about the risk and possible causes of occlusal derangement linked to night guard design and use. Cases are presented where night guard use resulted in anterior open bite and associated occlusal derangement. The aetiology of the occlusal changes observed is discussed. It is concluded that adverse occlusal effects linked to the use of night guards may be found to be more common than anticipated from existing literature. Patient follow-up is essential to monitor the use and effects of night guards, and regardless of appliance type, unintended occlusal changes may result. The use and effects of partial coverage appliances require very careful monitoring. Suggestions are provided for information and written instructions to be given to patients provided with night guards and removable orthodontic retainers.

Randomised Controlled Clinical Trial Investigating The Impact of Implementation Planning on Behaviour Related to The Diet.

There is a perceived gap between dietary advice given by health practitioners and adherence to the advice by patients. We investigated whether a behaviour change technique (implementation-planning) was more effective than standard-of-care diet advice at reducing dietary acid intake using quantitative erosive tooth wear progression as an objective clinical outcome. This study was a randomised controlled, double-blind, single-centre clinical trial in the UK. Participants (n = 60) with high dietary acid intake (≥2 daily), were recruited and randomly assigned (1:1) to receive either implementation-planning or standard-of-care diet advice in a single clinical session. Questionnaires and impressions were taken at baseline and 6 months later. Dental casts were scanned using laser profilometry and superimposed using surface-matching software. Data were analysed per protocol and intention-to-treat using independent t-tests and Mann-Whitney tests. The intervention group reduced their dietary acid intake between meals to 1 intake per day compared to 2 intakes per day for the controls and demonstrated reduced dental hard tissue volume loss (-0.00 mm3 (SD = 0.01)) compared to controls (-0.07 mm3 (SD 0.17)), p = 0.049. This paper supports the use of implementation planning in clinical practice and presents a non-invasive method of intervention assessment in behaviour change. Larger trials are needed to confirm the generalisability of results.

Association between traditional oral hygiene methods with tooth wear, gingival bleeding, and recession: A descriptive cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Oral hygiene maintenance is crucial for prevention of various oral diseases. Oral hygiene practices across the country vary largely and people in peri-urban and rural areas use traditional methods of oral hygiene like powders, bark, oil and salt etc. Their effect on oral soft and hard tissues need to be studied to understand their beneficial and/ or harmful effects on maintenance of oral hygiene and prevention or causation of oral diseases. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess the plaque-cleaning efficacy, gingival bleeding, recession and tooth wear with different traditional oral hygiene methods as compared to use of toothpaste-toothbrush, the most accepted method of oral hygiene practice. STUDY DESIGN: Hospital based cross sectional analytical study. Results: Total 1062 traditional oral hygiene method users were compared with same number of toothpaste-brush users. The maximum number in the former group used tooth powder (76%) as compared to other indigenous methods, such as use of bark of trees etc and out of tooth powder users; almost 75% reported using red toothpowder. The plaque scores and gingival bleeding & recession were found to be more in traditional oral hygiene method users. The toothwear was also more severe among the toothpowder users. CONCLUSIONS: Traditional methods were found to be inferior in plaque control as was documented by increased bleeding and gingival recession. Its effect on hard tissues of teeth was very damaging with higher tooth wear scores on all surfaces.

[Preventive dentistry 10. Erosive tooth wear]. / Preventieve tandheelkunde 10. Erosieve gebitsslijtage.

Erosive tooth wear has recently been at the centre of attention and its prevalence of erosive tooth wear among adolescents in the Netherlands appears to be rising. The multifactorial nature of the aetiology of the condition makes it difficult to identify the relevant causal factors, both in individual cases and within the general population. Preventive intervention is indicated in those cases where (active) erosive tooth wear is diagnosed. Early diagnosis is important, especially in younger patients. Preventive measures, such as dietary advice and the use of fluoride, are recommended but the scientific evidence for their effectiveness is still limited. In cases where acid reflux disease is the cause, treatment with medicines can have the effect of reducing the progression of tooth wear. Recognising a non-active condition, for example after successful preventive treatment, is difficult, but will be supported with digital methods in the near future.

Early diagnosis and daily practice management of erosive tooth wear lesions.

This paper explores some of the most relevant questions faced by dental practitioners when diagnosing early erosive tooth wear (ETW) and implementing non-operative management of this condition over time. It focuses on the identification of clinical signs and common locations of ETW lesions, the assessment of individual risk and the implementation of non-operative management strategies, aiming to arrest and/or reduce the rate of ETW progression and avoid its advance to pathological stages. To this end, we present a novel and comprehensive approach that considers the whole dentition of patients rather than individual groups of teeth or dental surfaces only, illustrating it with a series of clinical photographs. Dental practitioners may find this approach particularly helpful as it closely simulates the clinical examinations of patients of all age groups carried out in daily practice. The clinical signs of early ETW lesions are subtle and often not perceived as relevant by unaware clinicians. However, the early diagnosis and implementation of non-operative management strategies, especially at younger ages, is fundamental for the proper control of ETW over time.

Clinical wear of approximal glass ionomer restorations protected with a nanofilled self-adhesive light-cured protective coating

Abstract High viscous glass ionomer cement (GIC) has gained popularity as a restorative material; however, high wear is pointed as one of the major drawbacks of this material. Protective surface coatings were developed to protect GIC from water contamination with the additional advantage of occluding any surface cracks or porosities commonly found in this material, possibly resulting in an increased wear resistance of the restorations. Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the clinical wear of GIC approximal restorations in primary molars protected either with a nanofilled self-adhesive light-cured protective coating (NPC) or with petroleum jelly. Material and Methods: Approximal caries lesions in primary molars from 32 schoolchildren previously enrolled in another clinical trial were included in this investigation. GIC restorations were performed according to the Atraumatic Restorative Treatment approach and protected with either petroleum jelly or a NPC. Impressions of the restored hemiarch were done after 1 day and 6, 12, 24 and 36 months. The impressions were scanned in a 3-D appliance and the obtained images were superimposed using an appropriate computer software. Two-way ANOVA for repeated measures and Tukey's post-hoc test were used to analyze the wear of restorations (α=5%). Results: A significant difference was found between the two groups, with a wear protection offered by the application of a NPC. Conclusion: These results suggest that the application of a NPC has a protective effect on the clinical wear of approximal GIC restorations in primary teeth.

Protective Effect of Adhesive Systems associated with Neodymium-doped Yttrium Aluminum Garnet Laser on Enamel Erosive/Abrasive Wear.

AIM: This study evaluated the efficacy of self-etching adhesive systems associated or not associated with the neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) laser on the protection against enamel erosive/abrasive wear. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Bovine enamel specimens were demineralized with 0.3% citric acid (5 minutes). The samples were randomly assigned to eight groups (n = 20): SB - Single Bond Universal (3M/ESPE); SB+L - Single Bond Universal + laser (80 mJ/10 Hz); FB - Futurabond U (Voco); FB+L -Futurabond U + laser; GEN - G-aenial bond (GC); GEN+L -G-aenial bond + laser; L - laser irradiation; and C - no treatment. The laser was applied before light curing. The samples were subjected to erosive/abrasive challenges (0.3% citric acid - 2 minutes and tooth brushing four times daily for 5 days). Enamel surface loss was recovered profilometrically by comparison of baseline and final profiles. The adhesive layer thickness, retention percentage of the protective layer, and microhardness of cured adhesive were measured. Data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance and Tukey's test (5%). RESULTS: There were significant differences for all parameters (p = 0.0001). Mean values ± SD and results of the Tukey's test were: Surface wear: GEN - 4.88 (±1.09)a, L - 5.04 ± 0.99)a, FB - 5.32 (±0.93)ab, GEN + L - 5.46 (±1.27)abc, SB + L - 5.78 (±1.12)abc, FB + L - 6.23 (±1.25)bc, SB - 6.35 (±1.11)c, and C - 6.46 (±0.61)c; layer thickness: GEN - 15.2 (±8.63)c, FB - 5.06 (±1.96)a, GEN + L - 13.96 (±7.07)bc, SB + L - 4.24 (±2.68)a, FB + L - 9.03 (±13.02)abc, and SB - 7.49 (±2.80)ab; retention: GEN - 68.89 (±20.62)c, FB - 54.53 (±24.80)abc, GEN + L - 59.90 (±19.79)abc, SB + L - 63.37 (±19.30)bc, FB + L - 42.23 (±17.68) a, and SB - 47.78 (±18.29)ab; microhardness: GEN - 9.27 (±1.75)c; FB - 6.99 (±0.89)b; GEN + L - 6.22 (±0.87)ab; SB + L - 15.48 (±2.51)d; FB + L - 10.67 (±1.58)c; SB - 5.00 (±1.60)a. CONCLUSION: The application of Futurabond U and G-aenial bond on enamel surface, as well as the Nd:YAG laser irradiation alone, was able to reduce the enamel wear. The use of laser after the adhesive systems did not improve their efficacy. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Erosive/abrasive wear is a prevalent condition in clinical practice affecting many patients. The association of adhesive systems and Nd:YAG laser is of considerable clinical interest because it assesses new treatments to reduce the erosive/abrasive wear that would help dentists in clinical treatment decisions to reduce enamel wear and achieve a successful treatment.