A survey on the prevalence and risk indicators of erosive tooth wear among adolescents in Guangzhou, South China

Background Erosive tooth wear (ETW) has become a crucial oral health problem over the decades in China. Objectives To explore the prevalence and risk indicators of ETW among adolescents in Guangzhou, south China. Methods A cross-sectional survey of 720 participants was conducted in Guangzhou, using an equal-sized, stratified, multistage random sampling approach. The participants were from two different age groups (12- and 15-year-olds), 360 per group. The ratio of males to females was 1:1 in each group. ETW was recorded utilising the basic erosive wear examination (BEWE) index as the dependent variable. Independent variables included age, gender, region, socioeconomic status, dietary factors, oral health measures and others. Results The prevalence rates (weighted) of ETW and dentin exposure (DE) were 56.1% and 26.2% among adolescents in Guangzhou, with mean teeth (weighted) of 1.8 +/- 2.5 and 0.6 +/- 1.5, respectively. No matter the prevalence or the mean teeth, the 15-year-olds were higher than the 12-year-olds; the mean teeth of ETW of males was higher than that of females; the mean teeth of ETW and DE of the adolescents of low socioeconomic status were higher than those of high socioeconomic status. Medium to high risk levels were found for 10.1%. In the multiple regression model, age, gender and taking acidic foods/drinks before sleep were associated with ETW. Conclusions Moderate ETW in the permanent dentition was common among adolescents in Guangzhou. However, the teeth involved were low. Dietary factors and demographics were the main risk indicators.