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References

Shellis RP, Addy M. The interactions between attrition, abrasion and erosion in tooth wear. Monogr Oral Sci. 2014; 25:32-45 https://doi.org/10.1159/000359936
Rath A, Ramamurthy PH, Fernandes BA, Sidhu P. Effect of dried sunflower seeds on incisal edge abrasion: a rare case report. J Conserv Dent. 2017; 20:134-136 https://doi.org/10.4103/0972-0707.212237
Warreth A, Abuhijleh E, Almaghribi MA Tooth surface loss: a review of literature. Saudi Dent J. 2020; 32:53-60 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sdentj.2019.09.004
Basic erosive wear examination (BEWE). 2019. http://www.youtube.com/atch?v=sxHieKkn9lI&t=34s&ab_channel=FacultyofGeneralDentalPracticeUK (accessed November 2022)
Bartlett DW, Lussi A, West NX Prevalence of tooth wear on buccal and lingual surfaces and possible risk factors in young European adults. J Dent. 2013; 41:1007-1013 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdent.2013.08.018

Letters to the editor

From Volume 49, Issue 11, December 2022 | Page 934

Authors

Abdulhadi Warreth

Clinical Supervisor

Articles by Abdulhadi Warreth

Article

Basic Erosive Wear Examination (BEWE)

Even though each type of tooth surface loss (TSL) or tooth wear (TW) has its clinical appearance when present on its own, abrasion, attrition and erosion may co-occur and interact to create a mixed TSL lesion which may make diagnosis difficult.1–3 However, the Basic Erosive Wear Examination (BEWE) is based on identifying and scoring the most severely affected tooth in each sextant.

The term refers to only the erosive cause, as other factors, such as abrasion, attrition, and abfraction are not taken into account. The last factor, abfraction, has very little support in the literature.

According to a King's College London/Dental Defence Union (DDU) YouTube video, BEWE will soon become a legal issue because it affects more than 30% of people.4,5 As a result, proper TSL documentation in the patient's dental record is critical.

As a result, the term BEWE is inadequate and misleading. I suggest adding the other two factors (abrasion and erosion) to the term to make it Basic Erosive Abrasive and Attrition Wear Examination (BEAAWE).