Dental Erosion Among Secondary Schoolchildren: Sudan

Abstract

Dental erosion is a type of dental wear defined as loss of hard dental tissue caused by acids not produced by bacteria. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of dental erosion and its correlates among secondary schoolchildren in Omdurman, Sudan. A cross-sectional study was undertaken using stratified random sampling to select 10 secondary schools, from which all students were included. Data were collected via a self-administered questionnaire and clinical examination. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and associations were tested using a t-test, correlation, and logistic regression. Four hundred and eighty-three students participated in the study, most of whom (72.5%) attended public schools. The mean age was 12.4 years (SD: ±0.76). More than one-third (35%) of the students presented erosion. Those who reported the consumption of soft drinks or hibiscus had higher mean scores of erosion than those who did not, with mean differences of –0.61 and –0.31, respectively. These also had higher odds of erosion by an OR of 2.7 and 2.4, respectively. Those who had erosion had higher mean scores in tooth brushing, soft drink consumption, and hibiscus drink consumption, with mean differences –0.127, –0.36, and 0.28, respectively. The prevalence of erosion was thus positively associated with soft drink and hibiscus drink consumption, while being negatively associated with tooth brushing frequency.