Carvalho TS, Lussi A. Susceptibility of enamel to initial erosion in relation to tooth type, tooth surface and enamel depth. Caries Res. 2015; 49:109-115 https://doi.org/10.1159/000369104
White DA, Tsakos G, Pitts NB Adult Dental Health Survey 2009: common oral health conditions and their impact on the population. Br Dent J. 2012; 213:567-572 https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.2012.1088
Dugmore CR, Rock WP. Awareness of tooth erosion in 12 year old children and primary care dental practitioners. Community Dent Health. 2003; 20:223-227
Van't Spijker A, Rodriguez JM, Kreulen CM Prevalence of tooth wear in adults. Int J Prosthodont. 2009; 22:35-42
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; 41:1007-1113 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdent.2013.08.018
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Tooth wear is increasing in prevalence in both the younger and older population, and general dental practitioners have a duty of care to examine patients carefully, diagnose the condition and manage it with patient input. The article briefly covers the elements of examination, diagnosis and decision-making about how to manage it from a dento-legal perspective.
CPD/Clinical Relevance: Dentists with their teams need to understand their legal obligations in managing this among their patient base.
Article
Tooth wear is described as a complex multifactorial process that includes: erosion, abrasion, attrition and, theoretically, abfraction, potentially leading to the irreversible loss of enamel and dentine.1 An ageing population, alongside improvements in dental health education, has meant the public are retaining their teeth for longer.2 Thus, tooth wear is likely to be a growing concern in contemporary dentistry. Consequently, tooth wear patients will face a substantial time commitment and financial strain when dealing with the management of their tooth wear.
The prevalence of tooth wear increases with age.3,4 We are seeing a rise in tooth wear in younger patients, which means they are exhibiting this condition for a longer duration of life. Dugmore and Rock studied a cohort of children in the UK aged 12. Their 2-year longitudinal study found that new or more advanced erosive lesions were seen in 27% of the children over the study period.3
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