title: Risk indicators for tooth wear in Sri Lankan adolescents.
abstract: The aim of the study was to determine the risk indicators for tooth wear in Sri Lankan adolescents. A total of 1,200 17-year-olds were selected using a two-stage cluster sampling technique from schools in the Colombo district. The data were collected by means of a self-administered questionnaire and a clinical examination. A modified version of Smith and Knight's index of tooth wear was used to record tooth wear on occlusal/incisal, buccal and lingual/palatal surfaces of teeth excluding the third molars. Tooth wear was present in 22% of the adolescents, while nearly 9% had at least 1 wear lesion extending up to the dentine. In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, the consumption of Coca Cola(R) (OR: 2.60; 95% CI: 1.41-4.78), apples (OR: 1.63; 95% CI: 1.04-2.58), the father's occupation (OR: 2.20; 95% CI: 1.29-3.74) and chewing vitamin C tablets (OR: 1.68; 95% CI: 1.03-2.75) were significantly associated with dentinal wear, while tooth wear was associated with the consumption of oranges (OR: 1.60; 95% CI: 1.09-2.37) and apples (OR: 1.38; 95% CI: 1.06-1.80), the father's occupation (OR: 1.81; 95% CI: 1.22-2.68) and chewing vitamin C tablets (OR: 1.44; 95% CI: 1.04-2.00). As the father's occupation could be considered as a proxy measure of socioeconomic status, the findings suggest that tooth wear in Sri Lankan adolescents is a disorder of affluence.
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Health Care and Nutrition, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ratnayake
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ekanayake
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002253:Carbonated Beverages; D032084:Citrus sinensis; D003804:Dentin / Q000473:pathology; D005220:Fathers; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D027845:Malus; D009790:Occupations; D009910:Oral Hygiene; D010808:Physical Examination; D012307:Risk Factors; D012923:Social Class; D013188:Sri Lanka; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D057085:Tooth Wear / Q000145:classification / Q000209:etiology*; D014099:Toothbrushing; D014815:Vitamins / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D014815:Vitamins; D001205:Ascorbic Acid