Abstract
Objectives: The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of dental erosion and to investigate possible associations among dental erosion and medical history, dietary and lifestyle habits in a sample of adolescents in Greece. Study design: The study sample consisted of 770 adolescents, 374 boys and 396 girls aged 13 to 16 years. All individuals were clinically examined and answered questions regarding their medical history, rate and frequency of drinks and food consumption and lifestyle habits. Statistical analysis of the questionnaire items was performed by using the multiple logistic regression analysis model. Results: Two hundreds and sixty adolescents were diagnosed as having dental erosion, giving a prevalence rate 33.8%. The habit of holding drinks in the mouth before swallowing [OR=2.85, 95% CI=1.45-5.58] (p=0.002), the ingestion of acidic drinks at bedtime [OR=0.24, 95% CI=0.11-0.53] (p=0.000), the consumption of car- bonated drinks [OR=3.99, 95% CI=1.37-11.59] (p=0.011) and fruit juices [OR=0.12, 95% CI=0.04-0.38] (p=0.000) were the most important associated factors of dental erosion. Conclusions: The prevalence of dental erosion in the study sample was 33.8% while dental erosion experience was associated with frequency and habits of consumption of some dietary components. Key words:Prevalence, tooth erosion, risk factors, adolescents.
Highlights
Tooth erosion (TE) has been defined as the physical result of a localized, chronic, pathologic and irreversible loss of dental hard tissue caused by acids or chelants without bacterial involvement (1)
The tooth wear index (TWI) is the most extensively adopted index to measure TE, but it can overestimate the prevalence of this condition because it is not specific for TE and measures different types of tooth wear
It is often difficult to distinguish the three main forms of tooth wear, i.e. erosion, attrition and abrasion (16)and it is likely that all three processes may have been included in some of the cases examined in the current study
Summary
Tooth erosion (TE) has been defined as the physical result of a localized, chronic, pathologic and irreversible loss of dental hard tissue caused by acids or chelants without bacterial involvement (1). TE is frequently encountered in dental practice, affected people of all ages and describes the condition of dental hard tissue. It may be associated with dentine hypersensitivity, root caries, abrasion and gingival recession in case of the exposure of the root surface to the oral environment (2). The most important factors that have been associated with TE are intrinsic and extrinsic, interactions between individuals susceptibility factors, such as salivary characteristics and tooth/ tissue anatomy may play an important role in the development of erosive lesions (3,4,6). A number of epidemiological studies have investigated the role of the mentioned factors in the development of erosive lesions in children and adolescents (6,8-10). The present cross-sectional observational study was designed to assess the prevalence of TE and the associations among medical history, dietary habits, lifestyle factors and TE in a sample of adolescents in Greece
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
