Applications of factorial analysis in the study of risk factors and their chemical influence for erosive dental wear

Abstract

Dental wear is an irreversible loss of dental hard tissues under the action of physical and chemical factors that may come from the external or internal environment of the body. Dental wear is the consequence of three mechanisms: biocorrosion, friction and stress. The purpose of the study was to determine the impact of risk factors on the severity of erosive dental wear in children using factorial analysis. In this context, we used data from a statistical survey conducted between 2017-2018 on 456 rural and urban children aged 6 to 11 years, where dental wear was analyzed according to a series of diet-related factors, oral hygiene and behavioral patterns (bruxism). The major impact was caused by energy drinks, yoghurt and carbonated beverages. Through the associations resulting from the factorial analysis, the mechanisms involved in the erosive dental wear were also highlighted, and the main was biocorrosion, followed by friction and stress.