Prevalence of Dental Erosion in 7-12 Year Old Children

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of dental erosion in 7- 12 year old healthy children in Istanbul, Turkey. Methods: A sample of 7-12 year old 122 children (54 girls, 68 boys) was randomly selected from the healthy children attended to the Pediatric Dentistry Department Clinics of Istanbul University in 2004. All children were asked about their health-medical status and the amount of daily consumption of acidic and concentrated soft drinks before the dental examination. The all tooth surfaces of permanent teeth were evaluated for dental erosion clinically by a dental mirror and probe under a standard illumination. The dental erosion was assessed according to Smith&Knight Index. The data was analyzed according to Kruskal-Wallis and One-way ANOVA tests. Results: Dental erosion is observed in 27% of all children (22% girls, 30% boys). No significant values (p>0.05) in dental erosion experience were obtained between gender and age. Buccal surfaces have been determined as the mostly affected tooth surfaces by erosion; and the erosion was mostly confined to enamel. %’s of children consuming 1, 2, >2 acidic and concentrated soft drinks between meals were found as, respectively: 12%^a, 27%^a, and 60%^b. Same superscripts indicate that there is no statistically significant differences. Conclusion: The results have revealed that potential risk factors and preventive measures of dental erosion should be discussed and emphasized in the population.