Epidemiology of tooth wear: A global perspective

Abstract

Tooth wear results in irreversible loss of dental hard tissues and is recognized as being increasingly important, especially with the increase in life expectancy and older people retaining their natural dentition. The condition is likely to be caused by several factors, such as chemical, biological, behavioural, medications, gastrointestinal problems and acid regurgitation. For example, chemical tooth wear (erosion) can be caused by extrinsic factors (acidic diet) or by intrinsic factors (acidic content of the stomach). Mechanical tooth wear can be caused by chewing of abrasive foods and the use of highly abrasive dental care products, which causes abrasion. Intrinsic factors include tooth grinding, which causes attrition.

Tooth wear is a common clinical finding in many countries worldwide. Therefore, early detection of tooth wear is important to avoid necessary costly treatments. The European Federation of Conservative Dentistry recommended that effective management of tooth wear should include clinical screening for early signs, followed by identification of possible etiological factors, such as oral hygiene habits, pain due to sensitive teeth and functional problems. Therefore, clinicians are encouraged to include in their clinical practice, an examination protocol that combines the assessment of the severity of tooth wear with an evaluation of whether the tooth wear is pathological, and thus forms the basis for clinical decision‐making. In this presentation, the prevalence and risk factors for tooth wear, dentine hypersensitivity and their risk factors in different countries will be explored.

Learning Objectives

Understand the importance of tooth wear as a public health problem
Explain the prevalence of tooth wear in Arab populations
Comprehend the difference in the prevalence of tooth wear in different countries
Identify the risk factors associated with tooth wear and dentine hypersensitivity
Recognise the importance of dietary and oral health habits as risk factors for tooth wear