Objectives: To investigate Finnish dentists’ knowledge on and means of recording, detecting and
diagnosing erosive tooth wear (ETW). Treatment options and possible differences in treatment decisions
between general and specialized dentists were also evaluated.
Materials and methods: An electronic questionnaire was sent by e-mail to 3664 Finnish dentists.
Respondents’ gender, age, work experience, field of specialty, and practice location were requested.
The questionnaire also included a patient case where the dentists were asked about their choice of
treatment. Statistical analyses were performed using means, proportions, and cross tabulations.
Results: Response rate was 24% (n=866). Almost all respondents (98.0%) recorded ETW in patient
files, but only 4.1% used a detailed scoring system. Of the respondents, 64.4% usually found the cause
of ETW. Use of carbonated beverages (84.3%), energy drinks (57.0%), and reflux disease (53.1%) were
reported to be probable causes. The majority of the respondents (80.9%) usually assessed patient’s
dietary history while 1.9% evaluated saliva secretion rate. When asked about treatment decisions of
ETW patients, the differences between general dentists and specialized dentists were not as obvious
as hypothesized.
Conclusions: This study suggests that the Finnish dentists who participated in this survey are able to
detect and/or diagnose erosive tooth wear, but there is variation in recording it. The differences in
treatment decisions between general dentists and specialized dentists seem to be moderate. The
treatment practices for ETW are not established and further research to create clinical guidelines
seems to be needed.

Reference:
Knowledge on and treatment practices of erosive tooth wear among Finnish dentists
Kangasmaa H, Tanner T, Laitala ML, Mulic A, Kopperud SE, Vähänikkilä H, Anttonen V, Alaraudanjoki V.
Acta Odontologica Scandinavica, 79:7, 499-505
DOI: 10.1080/00016357.2021.1896031