Erosive Tooth Wear: An Investigation into Knowledge and Prevalence

Erosive Tooth Wear: An Investigation into Knowledge and Prevalence Public Deposited

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Creator

Erickson, Kristi Ellen
- Affiliation: School of Dentistry, Department of Operative Dentistry

Abstract

The purposes of this study were 1) to determine the knowledge of dental practitioners on the clinical signs, etiology, and treatment of dental erosion, 2) to determine the prevalence of dental erosion in a population of subjects with Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) as compared to a control population, and 3) to determine the association of number of acidic challenges, number of medications, age, salivary buffering capacity, initial salivary pH, and salivary flow rate to the erosive tooth wear (ETW) present. Results indicate that 1) while dental practitioners can identify the signs of dental erosion with a 36% accuracy, various etiologies and preventive treatment options are being overlooked, 2) the prevalence of erosion in a population of GERD subjects is 40% as compared to 15% in a control population, and 3) the only association seen is an increase of ETW with an increase in age.

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