Risk factors for dental erosion in a group of 12- and 16-year-old Brazilian schoolchildren.
BACKGROUND
Dental erosion is a multifactorial disease and is associated with dietary habits in infancy and adolescence.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate possible associations among dental erosion and diet, medical history and lifestyle habits in Brazilian schoolchildren.


METHODS
The sample consisted of a random single centre cluster of 414 adolescents (12- and 16-years old) of both genders from private and public schools in Bauru (Brazil). The O'Brien [Children's Dental Health in the United Kingdom, 1993 (1994) HMSO, London] index was used for dental erosion assessment. Data on medical history, rate and frequency of food and drinks consumption, and lifestyle habits were collected by a self-reported questionnaire. Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were used to assess the univariate relationships between variables. Analysis of questionnaire items was performed by multiple logistic regression analysis. The statistical significance level was set at 5%.


RESULTS
The erosion present group comprised 83 subjects and the erosion absent group 331. There were no statistically significant correlations among dental erosion and the consumption of food and drinks, medical history, or lifestyle habits.


CONCLUSIONS
The results indicate that there was no correlation between dental erosion and the risk factors analysed among adolescents in Bauru/Brazil and further investigations are necessary to clarify the multifactorial etiology of this condition.
Gurgel
Carla Vecchione
CV
Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Orthodontics and Public Health, Bauru School of Dentistry, USP - University of São Paulo, Bauru, Brazil. carlagurgel@hotmail.com
Rios
Daniela
D
de Oliveira
Thaís Marchini
TM
Tessarolli
Vanessa
V
Carvalho
Flávia Patto
FP
Machado
Maria Aparecida de Andrade Moreira
MA
D000293:Adolescent; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy; D001628:Beverages; D001938:Brazil; D002253:Carbonated Beverages; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000188:drug therapy; D004327:Drinking Behavior; D004358:Drug Therapy; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005502:Food; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D014077:Tooth Erosion / Q000209:etiology*; D014815:Vitamins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014839:Vomiting / Q000150:complications
D014815:Vitamins; D001205:Ascorbic Acid