Noncarious Cervical Lesions: Correlation between Abfraction and Wear Facets in Permanent Dentition

Felice Femiano,Rosario Rullo,Letizia Perillo,Rossella Femiano,Luigi Femiano,Vincenzo Maria Festa

doi:10.4236/ojst.2015.56021

Felice Femiano, Rosario Rullo + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.4236/ojst.2015.56021

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Abstract

Non-carious cervical lesions (NCCLs) are defined as the loss of dental hard tissue at the cement-enamel junction. Erosion, abrasion, and attrition have been associated with this disorder. Objective: Recently, occlusal stress causing of cervical enamel cracks (abfraction) has been considered as an additional etiology for NCCLs to facilitate the erosion and abrasion mechanisms in tooth wear. Study Design: The prevalence of NNCLs and wear facets in a population with permanent dentition in absence of any clear etiological factors related to erosion and abrasion causes is evaluated. A total 295 subjects are enrolled for this study and divided into four age groups (subjects aged 15 - 27 years, 28 - 42 years, 43 - 57 years and 58 - 75 years respectively). An overall of 6629 teeth are investigated to find NCCLs and wear facets. The occlusion is analyzed in each patient. Results: An overall of 801 teeth (12%) show NCCLs and 623 of them (78%) highlight also wear facets. The higher number of teeth with NCCLs and of these with simultaneous presence also of wear facets are found on teeth of patients of group-3 (11% of all teeth examined for group and 81% respectively) and to group-4 (24.4% of all teeth examined for group and 86.5% respectively) of remaining teeth without NCCLs (5828) only 138 (2.4%) shown wear facets. Conclusion: The results of this study held the occlusal forces as the main cause of NCCLs on teeth in presence of wear facets.

Highlights

The term noncarious cervical lesion (NCCL) refers to the loss of tooth structure at the cemento-enamel junction (CEJ) and subjacent root surface of the teeth by wear processes unrelated to bacterial action [1]
Erosion and corrosion are considered as the causes of NCCLs, and often the lesion shape is related to its etiology [5]
The aim of this study is to evaluate the etiological responsibility of occlusal stress in teeth with wedge-shaped NCCLs, in absence of etiological factors correlated to abrasion or erosion, analyzing the contemporaneous presence of wear facets in a population with permanent dentition

Summary

Introduction

The term noncarious cervical lesion (NCCL) refers to the loss of tooth structure at the cemento-enamel junction (CEJ) and subjacent root surface of the teeth by wear processes unrelated to bacterial action [1]. The prevalence of cervical wear attributed to noncarious processes is reported to fluctuate between 5% and 85% of all the pathological destructions of the hard dental tissue [4]. Erosion and corrosion are considered as the causes of NCCLs, and often the lesion shape is related to its etiology [5]. Lee et al (1984) and Oginni et al (2003) disagreed that excessive or incorrect brushing could be responsible for wear of hard tissue of the teeth. This is especially true when only a single tooth is involved or when NCCLs are found in patients who have never brushed teeth [7] [8]. The finding of a tooth with a NCCL adjacent to a tooth without any lesions, the presence of subgingival non carious lesions where it should not occur, owing to erosion or abrasion factors, and the occurrence of wedge-shaped lesions in animal teeth and in the teeth of prehistorical people, have strengthened the hypotheses that different etiological factors for NCCLs can operate [9]

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