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

Authors

  • Hanna Kangasmaa Research Unit of Population Health, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
  • Viivi Alaraudanjoki Research Unit of Population Health, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
  • Liisa Puhakka Research Unit of Population Health, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
  • Tarja Tanner Research Unit of Population Health, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; Medical Research Center, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
  • Hannu Vähänikkilä Northern Finland Birth Cohorts, Arctic Biobank, Infrastructure for Population Studies, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
  • Vuokko Anttonen Research Unit of Population Health, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
  • Adrian Lussi University Hospital for Conservative Dentistry and Periodontology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria; Department of Restorative, Preventive and Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dental Medicine, Bern, Switzerland; Department of Operative Dentistry and Periodontology, Medical Center & Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Germany
  • Juha Saarnio Medical Research Center, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; Research Unit of Translational Medicine Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
  • Marja-Liisa Laitala Research Unit of Population Health, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; Medical Research Center, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.2340/aos.v85.45781

Keywords:

erosive tooth wear, BEWE, tooth surfaces, GERD

Abstract

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.

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Published

2026-04-30

Issue

Vol. 85: (2026): Acta Odontologica Scandinavica

Section

Research article

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