Dental Erosion: Clinical Appearance and Management

Abstract

Dental erosion is defined as the pathologic, chronic, localized loss of dental hard tissue caused by the exposure of tooth surfaces to extrinsic or intrinsic acids, not related to bacterial metabolism. The main intrinsic factor is regurgitated gastric acid, while extrinsic factors are acidic industrial vapors or dietary components such as acidic drinks and foods. In recent epidemiological study in Japan, 26.1 % of 1,108 subjects were placed in dental erosion. For case of physiological wear, particularly where there may be no aesthetic or functional det- riment, or any associated symptoms of discomfort, management strategies may be limited to prevention with dietary counselling and monitoring only. In contrast, those with patho- logical wear may be in need of restorative treatments using resin composites.