Tooth erosion and its relationship with dietary habits in 6-18 year old schoolchildren in bangalore-A cross sectional study

Abstract

Introduction: Dental erosion is the most common chronic disease in both children and adolescents. It is a progressive, irreversible loss of dental hard tissues by a chemical process. There is a limited literature with regard to the prevalence of dental erosion in school-going children in India. Hence, this study was undertaken to assess the prevalence and severity of dental erosion in school-going children in Bangalore. Aims: To assess tooth erosion and its relationship with dietary habits in 6–18-year-old schoolchildren. Methods and Materials: The present cross-sectional study was conducted in Bangalore, India. A sample of 1000 schoolchildren, aged 6–18 years answered questionnaire containing information about dietary habits, gastric disorders, and oral hygiene and dental erosion was recorded using Modified O'Brien index. Results: Of the 1000 participants, 77 (7.7%) had erosive tooth wear. Frequent consumption of soft drinks and citrus fruit intake were strongly associated with dental erosion (P = 0.001). The posterior surface (5%) was most commonly affected by erosive lesions and milk was considered to be a protective indicator for erosion (P = 0.001). Conclusions: The findings give an inference that a low prevalence on dental erosion but a significant relation exists between diet and dental erosion and there is a need for enhancing awareness about dental erosion among the schoolchildren, their parents and should be recognized and treated early.