Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2008 Mar;12 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):S5-13.
doi: 10.1007/s00784-007-0179-z. Epub 2008 Jan 29.

Erosion--diagnosis and risk factors

A Lussi  1 , T Jaeggi
Affiliations
Review

Erosion--diagnosis and risk factors

A Lussi et al. Clin Oral Investig. 2008 Mar.

Abstract

Dental erosion is a multifactorial condition: The interplay of chemical, biological and behavioural factors is crucial and helps explain why some individuals exhibit more erosion than others. The erosive potential of erosive agents like acidic drinks or foodstuffs depends on chemical factors, e.g. pH, titratable acidity, mineral content, clearance on tooth surface and on its calcium-chelation properties. Biological factors such as saliva, acquired pellicle, tooth structure and positioning in relation to soft tissues and tongue are related to the pathogenesis of dental erosion. Furthermore, behavioural factors like eating and drinking habits, regular exercise with dehydration and decrease of salivary flow, excessive oral hygiene and, on the other side, an unhealthy lifestyle, e.g. chronic alcoholism, are predisposing factors for dental erosion. There is some evidence that dental erosion is growing steadily. To prevent further progression, it is important to detect this condition as early as possible. Dentists have to know the clinical appearance and possible signs of progression of erosive lesions and their causes such that adequate preventive and, if necessary, therapeutic measures can be initiated. The clinical examination has to be done systematically, and a comprehensive case history should be undertaken such that all risk factors will be revealed.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Facial erosion: The intact enamel border along the gingival margin of tooth 12 and some plaque remnants are clearly visible. Note the smooth silky-glazed appearance and the absence of perikymata on the enamel surface
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Advanced facial erosion of teeth 43, 44 and 45 with dentinal involvement. The width of the lesions exceeds its depth
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Erosion with involvement of dentine on the oral surface of tooth 13, 12 and 11. Intact enamel borders along the gingival margin
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
a–c Typical pattern of advanced occlusal erosion of teeth 45 and 46 of three different patients: The whole occlusal morphology disappears, and extensive exposed dentinal areas are visible
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Interactions of the different factors for the development of dental erosion (adapted from [68])
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. {'text': '', 'ref_index': 1, 'ids': [{'type': 'PubMed', 'value': '11759103', 'is_inner': True, 'url': 'https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11759103/'}]}
    2. Al-Malik MI, Holt RD, Bedi R (2001) The relationship between erosion, caries and rampant caries and dietary habits in preschool children in Saudi Arabia. Int J Paediatr Dent 11:430–439 - PubMed
    1. {'text': '', 'ref_index': 1, 'ids': [{'type': 'PubMed', 'value': '11472810', 'is_inner': True, 'url': 'https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11472810/'}]}
    2. Amaechi BT, Higham SM (2001) In vitro remineralisation of eroded enamel lesions by saliva. J Dent 29:371–376 - PubMed
    1. {'text': '', 'ref_index': 1, 'ids': [{'type': 'PubMed', 'value': '9701659', 'is_inner': True, 'url': 'https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9701659/'}]}
    2. Attin T, Zirkel C, Hellwig E (1998) Brushing abrasion of eroded dentin after application of sodium fluoride solutions. Caries Res 32:344–350 - PubMed
    1. {'text': '', 'ref_index': 1, 'ids': [{'type': 'PubMed', 'value': '9892781', 'is_inner': True, 'url': 'https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9892781/'}]}
    2. Attin T, Dreifuss H, Hellwig E (1999) Influence of acidified fluoride gel on abrasion resistance of eroded enamel. Caries Res 33:135–139 - PubMed
    1. {'text': '', 'ref_index': 1, 'ids': [{'type': 'PubMed', 'value': '11385203', 'is_inner': True, 'url': 'https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11385203/'}]}
    2. Attin T, Knöfel S, Buchalla W, Tütüncü R (2001) In situ evaluation of different remineralisation periods to decrease brushing abrasion of demineralized enamel. Caries Res 35:216–222 - PubMed