title: The Basic Erosive Wear Examination (BEWE) applied retrospectively to two studies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A scoring method for tooth erosion is needed to enable community-based assessments. The aim of this study was to evaluate the Basic Erosive Wear Examination (BEWE) scoring method, using data previously collected from two studies.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a national survey of erosion in children and adolescents, a representative, 20 % nationwide sample of 2,251 children, aged 6, 12 and 15 years, was examined. Erosion, recorded for all surfaces of permanent teeth, was converted to a BEWE score. For a group of referred patients, erosion was scored for 351 patients and then converted to a BEWE score.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From the national survey, no erosion was seen in permanent teeth of 6 years old, but was present in 12 years old (19.9 % boys, mean BEWE of 0.22; 11.0 % girls, mean BEWE of 0.079; p < 0.001). Among 15 years old, erosion was seen in 30.7 % of subjects (38.3 % boys, mean BEWE of 1.00; 22.7 % girls, mean BEWE of 0.42; p < 0.001). For the referred patients, the BEWE score was 9.4 for subjects with gastric reflux symptoms but 6.0 for those without symptoms (p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The value of scoring with the BEWE methodology was clearly demonstrated, showing increasing severity of erosion between 12 and 15 years and gender differences in erosion severity. Intrinsic acid erosion clearly caused an increased BEWE score.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The BEWE scoring methodology appears valuable for assessing erosion in populations.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Odontology, University of Iceland, Vatnsmýrarvegi 16, IS 101, Reykjavík, Iceland, phol@hi.is.
authors.forename: W P
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Holbrook
authors.forename: I B
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Árnadóttir
authors.forename: S O
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Hlöðversson
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Arnarsdóttir
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Jónsson
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Sæmundsson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D057085:Tooth Wear; D055815:Young Adult