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The increasing number of children and adults diagnosed with dental erosion presents a clinical challenge to the dental practitioner.
This course describes the epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical diagnosis and treatment of dental erosion. Erosion is the process by which tooth mineral is irreversibly lost due to the action of acid. This is a direct pH effect that occurs when the critical pH of dental enamel (< 5.5) is breached. All acids, whether from intrinsic (such as that produced by gastric acid reflux) or extrinsic sources (e.g. dietary such as yoghurt, pickles, soft drinks - especially sports drinks), are capable of demineralizing tooth enamel if they produce a pH at the enamel surface that is lower than the critical pH. The early signs of erosion are often difficult to diagnose and a definitive diagnosis may require long-term monitoring of the progression of tooth wear with study casts and photographs. Only preventive, provisional or temporary treatment should be given for erosion lesions until the causative condition is determined and treated and the erosion is controlled and stabilized.
In addition to erosion, there are other forms of non-caries destructive processes that result in a loss of tooth structure. These processes include abrasion, attrition and resorption. Destruction of tooth structure is almost never caused by a single process, as they often co-exist.
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