Erosive tooth wear and its associated factors by tooth surfaces among a group of Finnish adults: a pilot study

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate erosive tooth wear (ETW) in different teeth and tooth surfaces among a group of Finnish adults, and to investigate the association between different risk factors and the manifestation of ETW in different parts of the dentition. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study consisted of a questionnaire and a clinical oral examination. A total of 246 participants were invited to participate in the study. Respondents were asked about their gender, age, as well as their drinking and dietary habits. The presence of ETW on the oral, occlusal, and buccal surfaces of each tooth was recorded using the basic erosive wear examination (BEWE). Results: The study population consisted of 176 participants, of which 64% were female. Of all the respondents, 98.3% had signs of ETW. ETW was most frequent on occlusal surfaces. ETW on buccal, occlusal and oral upper and lower surfaces was significantly associated with the duration of erosive drink consumption (p = 0.009), the amount of erosive food consumed (p = 0.007), and the frequency of erosive food consumption (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Among the studied Finnish adult population, ETW seems to be common. There seem to be different risk factors that affect ETW on different tooth surfaces. Clinical relevance: The association between ETW on different tooth surfaces and specific extrinsic factors provides new scientific knowledge for clinicians. When evaluating ETW, risk factors such as the frequency, duration, and amount of consumption must be taken into account.