Tooth Wear in Relation to Selected Salivary Variables among a Group of Older Adults

Abstract

Background: Tooth wear is one of the most concerning problems of the current dental practice especially amongolder subjects. The aim of this study is to determine the severity of tooth wear and its relation with selected salivaryvariables (salivary pH and vitamin C level) among a group of older adults in Mosul city/Iraq.Materials and methods: All subjects (30 subjects) of both gender tookpart in the current study; sixteen of them wereolder adults (55-65 years) and compared with fourteen middle-aged adults (30-40 years) at Textile factory in Mosulcity/Iraq. Unstimulated salivary samples were collected and salivary pH was immediately measured. Salivary vitaminC level was determined colormetrically. Severity of tooth wear was determined according to Hansson and Nilner(1975) classification.Results: Results showed that all severity scores of tooth wear revealed higher percentage among older adults thanmiddle-aged adults. Also all tooth segment types revealed higher percentage of tooth wear among older adultsthan middle-aged adults. Moreover regarding the highest score of tooth wear by subjects, higher percentage oftooth wear was found among older adults than middle-aged adults. Concerning the total sample results disclosedthat wear of enamel only revealed higher percentage than one or more teeth worn into dentine and one or moreteeth worn up to 1/3 of the crown. Also in the total sample the incisor region showed higher percentage of toothwear while the least tooth wear percentage was found in the molar region. In both age groups no significantcorrelations were found between salivary pH and vitamin C with the highest score of tooth wear.Conclusion: Tooth wear is more severe among older subjects. Further study is needed with larger sample size andmore precise index that measure the etiology of tooth wear