The prevalence of dental erosion and associated risk factors in 12-13-year-old school children in Southern China

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Dental erosion has been investigated in developed and developing countries and the prevalence varies considerably in different countries, geographic locations, and age groups. With the lifestyle of the Chinese people changing significantly over the decades, dental erosion has begun to receive more attention. However, the information about dental erosion in China is scarce. The purpose of this study was to explore the prevalence of dental erosion and associated risk factors in 12-13-year-old school children in Guangzhou, Southern China.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This cross-sectional survey was performed by two trained, calibrated examiners. A stratified random sample of 12-13-year-old children (774 boys and 725 girls) from 10 schools was examined for dental erosion using the diagnostic criteria of Eccles and the index of O'Sullivan was applied to record the distribution, severity, and amount of the lesions. Data on the socio-economic status, health behaviours, and general health involved in the etiology of dental erosion were obtained from a self-completed questionnaire. The analyses were performed using SPSS software.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>At least one tooth surface with signs of erosion was found in 416 children (27.3%). The most frequently affected teeth were the central incisors (upper central incisors, 16.3% and 15.9%; lower central incisors, 17.4% and 14.8%). The most frequently affected surface was the incisal or occlusal edge (43.2%). The loss of enamel contour was present in 54.6% of the tooth surfaces with erosion. Of the affected tooth surfaces, 69.3% had greater than one-half of the tooth surface was affected. The results from logistic regression analysis demonstrated that the children who were female, consumed carbonated drinks once a week or more, and those whose mothers were educated to the primary level tended to have more dental erosion.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Dental erosion in 12-13-year-old Chinese school children is becoming a significant problem. A strategy of offering preventive care, including more campaigns promoting a healthier lifestyle for those at risk of dental erosion should be conducted in Chinese children and their parents.</p

Methodological considerations concerning the development of oral dental erosion indexes: literature survey, validity and reliability

Within the context of preventing non-communicable diseases, the World Health Report (2002) and the WHO Global Oral Health Program (2003) put forward a new strategy of disease prevention and health promotion. Greater emphasis is placed on developing global policies in oral health promotion and oral disease prevention. The Decayed, Missing, Filled Teeth (DMFT) index does not meet new challenges in the field of oral health. Dental erosion seems to be a growing problem, and in some countries, an increase in erosion of teeth is associated with an increase in the consumption of beverages containing acids. Therefore, within a revision of the WHO Oral Health Surveys Basic Methods, new oral disease patterns, e.g. dental erosion, have to be taken into account. Within the last 20 years, many studies on dental erosion have been carried out and published. There has been a rapid growth in the number of indexes quantifying dental erosion process in different age groups. However, these indexes are not comparable. This article discusses quality criteria which an index intended for assessing tooth erosion should possess

The prevalence of awake bruxism and sleep bruxism in the Dutch adult population

BACKGROUND: Awake bruxism and sleep bruxism are common conditions amongst adult populations, although prevalence data are scarce. Objective This study aimed to assess the prevalence of awake bruxism and sleep bruxism in the Dutch adult population. METHODS: As part of a large epidemiologic survey on oral health of the general Dutch adult population, a total of 1,209 subjects were asked about their bruxism behavior during the day and during their sleep. The collected data were subjected to stratified analysis by five age groups (25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, and 65-74 years), socioeconomic status, and gender. RESULTS: A prevalence of 5.0% of the total population was found for awake bruxism and of 16.5% for sleep bruxism. Regarding the five age groups, prevalence of 6.5%, 7.8%, 4.0%, 3.2%, and 3.0%, respectively, were found for awake bruxism, and of 20.0%, 21.0%, 16.5%, 14.5%, and 8.3%, respectively, for sleep bruxism. Women reported both awake bruxism and sleep bruxism more often than men. These differences were statistically significant. Concerning socioeconomic status (SES), both awake bruxism and sleep bruxism were more often found in high SES groups, being statistically significant for awake bruxism only. CONCLUSION: Sleep bruxism is a common condition in the Dutch adult population, while awake bruxism is rarer. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved