Prevalence and Etiological Factors of Erosive Tooth Wear in 8-12-Year-Old Students in Aydin, Turkey

Background This study aimed to estimate the prevalence, distribution, and the associated factors of Erosive Tooth Wear (ETW) in students aged 8–12 in Efeler, Aydin Methods This cross-sectional study included 8–12-year-old students attending 9 different primary and secondary schools in Efeler, Aydin. Intraoral examinations were performed using a mirror and probe sterilized under a light pen. In our study, the Basic Erosive Wear Examination (BEWE) index was used for erosion scoring. To determine the etiology of dental erosion, a questionnaire consisting of 23 questions including sociodemographic data, personal habits and acidic food and beverage consumption was applied. In descriptive statistics, means are given with standard deviation. Statistical relationship was evaluated with Mann Whitney U chi-square test and logistic regression. Results 756 students were included in the study. Of the students in the study, 48.5% were boys and 51.5% were girls. The mean age was 9,9 ± 1,4. The prevalence of ETW was 18.0%. The ETW in primary teeth was 16.1%, in permanent teeth it was 1.9%. The prevalence of erosion in students using asthma medication (30.3%) was higher than healthy students (16.8%) (p = 0.01). No relationship was found between eating habits and the prevalence of erosion. Conclusion ETW was found to be most common in primary teeth, with higher prevalence among children of younger age and those under asthma medication.