Dental erosion: etiologic factors in a sample of Valencian children and adolescents: cross-sectional study

Abstract

Aim: To establish the relationship between dental erosion prevalence in children aged 6-14 and all the aetiological factors that lead to the development of the lesions.

Materials and methods: Study design: A correlational cross-sectional study of a sample of 400 Valencian children was conducted. First, a questionnaire was completed to analyse the patients' health status, their dietary and oral hygiene habits, the kind of school they attended and their parents' academic level. Then, a clinical exploration of the permanent dentition was done, calculating the BEWE index and the risk of erosion for each patient.

Results: The prevalence of dental erosion of the studied sample was 22.3%. A positive correlation was observed between the presence of dental erosion and the frequent intake of fruit juices, carbonated and isotonic drinks (p<0.05), presenting a higher correlation if the liquid was kept in the mouth before swallowing. Aetiological factors such as the use of inhalers in patients with asthma (p=0.006), frequency of vomiting and regurgitation (p<0.001), frequent swimmers (p<0.001) or a low socioeconomic status (p<0.05) were also positively associated to the development of erosive lesions.

Statistics: A descriptive and inferential statistical analysis was performed, using the Mann-Whitney U and the Kruskal-Wallis tests in the latter.

Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that the frequent intake of fruit juices, carbonated and isotonic drinks, the use of inhalers and belonging to a low socioeconomic level family are factors positively associated to the development of erosive lesions.