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® (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.

Keywords:
Adolescents, Risk indicators, Tooth wear
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© 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel
2009
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