Dental Erosion: results from the Icelandic Oral Health Survey

Objectives: The Oral Health Survey in Iceland aims to obtain national data on the oral health of Icelandic children and teenagers. One of the primary goals of the study was to measure the prevalence of dental erosion in permanent teeth. Methods: A representative sample of 2,254 Icelandic children in first, seventh and tenth grade (approx. 6y, 12y and15y) was examined. Oral examinations took place in the schools and were performed by a single trained and calibrated examiner following thorough tooth cleaning by a dental hygienist. Dental erosion was recorded on permanent teeth according to the modified scale of Lussi previously used in studies of dental erosion in Iceland. Results: Dental erosion was not seen in the permanent teeth of six year olds, but was evident among 14.8% of 12-year-olds with boys more frequently afflicted than girls (19.0% boys, 9.8% girls; p<0.001). Among the 15-year-olds dental erosion was seen among 30% (37.3% of the boys and 22.6% of the girls, p<0.001). The teeth most frequently showing signs of erosion were the lower first molars. Conclusions: The results from this nationally representative sample of Icelandic children were that 30% of 15-year-olds showed signs of dental erosion and almost 15% of the 12-year-olds. Dental erosion was found to be almost twice as frequent among boys as in girls in Iceland. This national survey suggests an even higher prevalence of erosion in Iceland than earlier regional surveys of similar age groups.