Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence, distribution and severity of dental erosive wear among 16-year old adolescents living in Troms. Clinical, intra-oral pictures of 392 individuals involved in the «Tromsø undersøkelsen, Fit Futures» were evaluated for dental erosive wear by three previously calibrated examiners. A tested erosive wear system (VEDE) was used. More than one third of the adolescents (38 %) had dental erosive wear, 18 % in enamel only and 20 % involving dentine. The palatal surfaces of upper central incisors and first lower molars were the most affected. Of those 148 (38 %) individuals registered with dental erosive wear, 93 % had cuppings, usually on first lower molars (73 %), and on the mesio-buccal cusp (75 %). Males had significantly more erosive lesions and more lesions into dentine compared with females (p<0,001). Dental erosive wear is a common condition among 16-year-olds in Troms, and an important focus for dental health personnel should be early diagnosis and information on preventive strategies related to dental erosive wear.