Dental erosion: prevalence, incidence, and distribution

Dental erosion is one of the most common dental diseases and it is a growing problem. Numerous epidemiological studies have investigated the prevalence of dental erosion. For these studies different cross sections of the population are investigated. Large differences were found between countries, geographic locations and age groups. Most prevalence data is available from European studies and it is estimated that 29 % of the adults is affected by tooth wear. Next to geographical differences there are large differences per age group and the highest prevalence (11-100 %) was found in children between 9 and 17 years old. Studies with adults aged 18-88 years showed prevalence between 4 and 83 %. There is evidence that the prevalence of erosion is growing steadily, especially in the older age group. Furthermore, it is suggested that gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is an important aggravating factor of dental erosion. Erosive wear is most common on, but not limited to, occlusal and palatal surfaces of the teeth. The occlusal erosions are often found on first mandibular molars. Lingually located lesions are most common on the palatal surfaces of the maxillary anterior teeth, and are often linked to intrinsic erosion

Relationship among perceived stress, xerostomia, and salivary flow rate in patients visiting a saliva clinic

Objective: This aimed to assess the potential role of chronic stress in saliva secretion, xerostomia, and oral health in a population attending a saliva clinic.Materials and methods: Data of 114 patients who met the inclusion criteria and completed all questionnaires were analyzed in this study. Participants completed several validated questionnaires, including the Perceived Stress Scale, the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14), Xerostomia Inventory (XI), and Bother xerostomia Index (BI). Subsequently, the unstimulated, chewingstimulated, and citric acid-stimulated saliva secretion rates were determined gravimetrically. Data were evaluated using Spearman’s correlation analysis and the Mann–Whitney U test.Results: A significant correlation was observed between perceived stress and XI score (r = 0.312, p = 0.001), as well as between perceived stress and BI score (r = 0.334, p = 0.001). Stress levels also were significantly associated with OHIP-14 scores (r = 0.420, p < 0.001), but an association between experienced stress and salivary flow rate could not be established.Conclusion: In this population, perceived chronic stress seems to be related to several aspects of dry mouth, including the perception of dry mouth, suffering from dry mouth, and the impact on quality of life. These effects were independent of the use of psychotropic medication. No actual reduction in salivary flow was found. Further studies to explore the causal linkage of stress with xerostomia seem warranted.Clinical relevance: Perceived chronic stress seems to be related with several aspects of dry mouth. This finding might be relevant in future prevention and treatment of xerostomia