Awareness and knowledge of dental erosion among Yemeni dental professionals and students

Knowledge about caries and erosive tooth wear is confused among Norwegian high school students

OBJECTIVES

This study investigated differences in high school students' subjective and objective knowledge- and concerns about preventing caries and/or erosive tooth wear and the associations between these variables.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A survey was conducted among students at 16 high schools in Norway. The survey included a range of fact-based questions to measure objective knowledge about caries and erosive tooth wear, as well as questions about students' perceptions of his/her own knowledge (subjective knowledge) and concerns about preventing the two conditions.

RESULTS

There were small differences in subjective knowledge about caries and erosive tooth wear among the 784 students who completed the survey (p < .01). However, students scored significantly higher on objective knowledge about caries (mean 2.99) than about erosive tooth wear (mean 1.45), p < .01, and seemed to confuse the two conditions. By contrast, students scored significantly worse on questions about beverages' potential to cause caries (mean 5.18) than to cause erosive tooth wear (mean 6.30), p < .001. Finally, objective knowledge about caries was positively associated with subjective knowledge about caries, but corresponding associations could not be found for erosive tooth wear.

CONCLUSIONS

Knowledge about caries and erosive tooth wear seemed to be confused among Norwegian high school students.

Awareness and knowledge of dental erosion and its association with beverage consumption: a multidisciplinary survey

BACKGROUND

Erosive tooth wear has significant impacts on oral and general health. This study aimed to measure the awareness of dental erosion to establish the relationships among sociodemographic factors, awareness and knowledge of dental erosion, and beverage consumption behaviours, in a sample of university students in Australia.

METHODS

All undergraduate students enrolled in the targeted programs at an Australian University were invited. A total of 418 students consented to participate. Each was assessed with an online questionnaire.

RESULTS

The awareness rate of dental erosion was 92.1%. Soft drinks and fruit juice were most often perceived as acidic beverages by the respondents. The students of greater age, and studying pharmacy, paramedicine, physiotherapy or science, were less likely to be aware of dental erosion. Those students that were aware of dental erosion also had better knowledge of dental erosion, which was associated with a reduced quantity of daily acidic beverage consumption as well. The students that predominantly resided overseas had less knowledge of dental erosion. The students that were of greater age, that were studying clinical science, pharmacy, medical science, paramedicine, or science, and that correctly identified more types of acidic beverages, more often consumed acidic beverages in high-risk patterns.

CONCLUSIONS

Erosive tooth wear is a relevant matter in dentistry, nutrition and public health. Within a university setting, the effect of education on oral health literacy and beverage consumption behaviour is confirmed. Dental and health professionals should actively educate the individuals and communities about dental erosion and motivate them to change acidic beverage consumption behaviours.

Knowledge on and treatment practices of erosive tooth wear among Finnish dentists

OBJECTIVES

To investigate Finnish dentists' knowledge on and means of recording, detecting and diagnosing erosive tooth wear (ETW). Treatment options and possible differences in treatment decisions between general and specialized dentists were also evaluated.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

An electronic questionnaire was sent by e-mail to 3664 Finnish dentists. Respondents' gender, age, work experience, field of specialty, and practice location were requested. The questionnaire also included a patient case where the dentists were asked about their choice of treatment. Statistical analyses were performed using means, proportions, and cross tabulations.

RESULTS

Response rate was 24% (n = 866). Almost all respondents (98.0%) recorded ETW in patient files, but only 4.1% used a detailed scoring system. Of the respondents, 64.4% usually found the cause of ETW. Use of carbonated beverages (84.3%), energy drinks (57.0%), and reflux disease (53.1%) were reported to be probable causes. The majority of the respondents (80.9%) usually assessed patient's dietary history while 1.9% evaluated saliva secretion rate. When asked about treatment decisions of ETW patients, the differences between general dentists and specialized dentists were not as obvious as hypothesized.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that the Finnish dentists who participated in this survey are able to detect and/or diagnose erosive tooth wear, but there is variation in recording it. The differences in treatment decisions between general dentists and specialized dentists seem to be moderate. The treatment practices for ETW are not established and further research to create clinical guidelines seems to be needed.

Awareness and Treatment Decisions on Tooth Wear among Jordanian Dentists and Prosthodontists: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study

Objectives

To assess the awareness, knowledge, and treatment decisions by dentists in Jordan regarding tooth wear.

Materials and Methods

A questionnaire was disseminated to a random sample of 200 general dentists and 100 prosthodontists working in the Ministry of Health, academia, private practices, and military services. Chi square and independent t-tests were performed for statistical analysis.

Results

Hundred and seventy-nine dentists and prosthodontists responded (59.7% response rate), of which 71.5% was females. 83.8% of the dentists reported they see patients with tooth wear. 61.5% registered wear lesions in the patient file, and 68.2% reported they find a probable cause of tooth wear. 87.2% of the dentists reported that bruxism is the most common cause in Jordan. 63.3% dentists treated their patients. 46.4% reported they “always” record a dietary history. 77.7% did not think that tooth wear is linked to caries. Low confidence levels were demonstrated among general practitioners in diagnosing and treating tooth wear. Regarding treatment decisions, most dentists decided to restore worn teeth with composite and to construct a night guard. Minimally affected anterior teeth were mostly treated with fluoride. Restoration of posterior worn teeth with overlay was suggested by one-third of the dentists.

Conclusion

The dentists and prosthodontists in Jordan are aware of tooth wear. However, examination and documentation were given a little priority by general dentists. On the other hand, there was an agreement among the dentists and prosthodontists on applying the minimally invasive approach. Clinical Significance. It is challenging for dentists to make the best treatment decision for tooth wear especially as no standard treatment is available. Therefore, this study investigated the awareness and treatment decisions of a sample of dentists and prosthodontists in Jordan.

Does delayed toothbrushing after the consumption of erosive foodstuffs or beverages decrease erosive tooth wear? A systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

Controversy exists regarding the effectiveness of delayed toothbrushing in decreasing erosive tooth wear (ETW). The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess the effects of delayed toothbrushing on ETW.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted according to the PRISMA statement and registered in PROSPERO (CRD42020200463). PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases were systematically searched with no publication year limits. Screening and data extraction were performed independently by two reviewers. In situ and in vitro studies comparing ETW after delayed and immediate toothbrushing following an erosive attack were included. Review Manager software 5.3 (The Cochrane Collaboration, Oxford, UK) was used for statistical analyses. Heterogeneity was assessed with the Cochran Q test and I² statistics.

RESULTS

Of the 565 potentially relevant studies, 26 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility. Twelve articles were included in the systematic review, and 11 were included in the qualitative analyses. No significant difference in the ETW of human enamel was observed between delayed and immediate toothbrushing (P = 0.13), whereas significantly less ETW of bovine enamel was observed after delayed toothbrushing (P < 0.001). No significant difference in the ETW of bovine dentin was observed between delayed and immediate toothbrushing (P = 0.34). Studies on human dentin were not available. Subgroup analyses revealed a significant contribution of the use of fluoridated toothpaste to decreasing the ETW of human enamel after erosion and toothbrush abrasion (P = 0.02).

CONCLUSIONS

Bovine and human teeth behaved differently in response to erosion and toothbrush abrasion. Delayed toothbrushing after an erosive attack was not effective at decreasing the ETW of human enamel compared to immediate toothbrushing, whereas it was effective at decreasing the ETW of bovine enamel.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Delayed toothbrushing alone after the consumption of erosive foodstuffs or beverages is not capable of preventing erosive enamel wear.

Knowledge of and attitudes towards erosive tooth wear among students of two Chinese universities

Background

To assess the knowledge of and attitudes towards erosive tooth wear among dental, medical, and non-medical university students of two Chinese universities.

Methods

A questionnaire containing 15 questions on knowledge of erosive tooth wear and 10 questions on attitudes towards erosive tooth wear was designed, and its psychometric properties (reliability and validity) were analysed in a pilot study (n = 120 students). The following 3 groups of university students (n = 635) were recruited based on a convenience sampling technique and were distributed the questionnaire via an online survey system: dental students (DSs), medical students (MSs), and non-medical students (NSs). Differences in the scores between groups and genders were analysed by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The Pearson correlation coefficient was used to determine the association between the knowledge and attitude scores (P < 0.05).

Results

The questionnaire was found to be reliable, valid and reproducible. A total of 435 students participated in this study (response rate: 69.6%). The knowledge score of the DSs (11.5 ± 3.4) was significantly higher than those of the NSs (5.5 ± 4.0) and MSs (6.1 ± 4.0) (P < 0.001). The attitude score of the DSs (45.2 ± 6.5) was significantly higher than those of the NSs (41.1 ± 6.9) and MSs (41.8 ± 6.4) (P < 0.001). The majority of DSs expressed attitudes that were more accurate and positive than those expressed by the other 2 groups. The attitude score was positively correlated with the knowledge score (r = 0.237, P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Dental students had more accurate knowledge of and more positive attitudes towards erosive tooth wear than medical and non-medical students. In this population, a positive correlation was established between knowledge of and attitudes towards erosive tooth wear.

Dental erosion in groups of Yemeni children and adolescents and the modification of an erosion partial recording system

BACKGROUND

The prevalence of dental erosion is rising especially among children and adolescents and its grading needs further investigation.

AIMS

To determine the prevalence and severity of dental erosion in groups of Yemeni children and adolescents, and to clinically compare an erosion partial recording system (EPRS) with a proposed modified-simplified version (EPRS-M).

DESIGN

Of 6163 individuals aged 5-6, 13-14 and 18-19 years, 911 were randomly selected, of which 668 participated in the study. Dental erosion was graded using EPRS. EPRS-M was proposed, and its sensitivity and specificity was calculated in relation to EPRS.

RESULTS

Prevalence of erosion extending into dentine on at least one tooth was 6.8% among 5- to 6-year-olds, 3.0% among 13- to 14-year-olds and 14.6% among 18- to 19-year olds. The highest prevalence was 19.2% among girls aged 18-19 years which was significantly higher than boys (10.4%) in the same age group (P = 0.044). Sensitivity and specificity for EPRS-M in relation to EPRS were 85.7% and 100% for primary teeth, and 84.1% and 100% for permanent teeth.

CONCLUSIONS

Dental erosion was common among children and older teenagers and highest among older girls but less common among younger teenagers. The tested accuracy of EPRS-M qualifies it to be used as an initial quick detection tool in future dental erosion research.