Dental erosion as oral disease. Insights in etiological factors and pathomechanisms, and current strategies for prevention and therapy

Abstract

Dental erosion is induced by the exposure to acids, and together with physical impacts, contributes to the wear and tear of the dentition throughout a lifetime. It is a multifactorial condition, and so far several etiological and protecting factors have been identified. Based on a thorough diagnosis and identification of the acid sources, current preventive and therapeutic strategies focus on causal strategies bringing the acid exposure to a safe level, and/or strengthening the tooth surface against demineralization. There is increasing knowledge about the erosion inhibiting potential of fluorides particularly of compounds with polyvalent metal cations. The paper critically reviews the current literature providing a brief overview on what is known about diagnosis, prevalence, etiology and risk factors with the main focus on preventive and therapeutic strategies.