Factors Associated with Dental Erosion Among Children in the U.S

Objective: Studies have reported on the association between dental erosion and social class, income, tooth brushing, and fluoridation. To date, no study has examined whether dental erosion is associated with race/ethnicity and obesity. The study aims were to estimate prevalence of dental erosion in children, and to examine whether dental erosion is associated with race/ethnicity and obesity in the United States.

Methods: We analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examinations Survey (NHANES), 2003-2004. The tooth wear index was used to measure dental erosion. Other variables included were age, race/ethnicity, parental income, dental insurance, frequency of dental visits and obesity (measured by body mass index).

Results: 45.9% of children aged 13-19 years had dental erosion in at least one tooth. Prevalence of dental erosion was bilaterally symmetrical in incisors, canines, and molars in the maxilla and mandible, with dental erosion been more prevalent in the lower than upper teeth. Prevalence of dental erosion was highest in the lower right and left central incisors (28.6%, 26.9%). In multivariate analysis lower rates of dental erosion of any tooth was significantly associated with being female, African-American, dental visit within the last year, and underweight, but not with income and dental insurance.

Conclusions: This study demonstrates that obesity is not associated with an increase in dental erosion in children. However, further investigation should be conducted to examine dietary influence as a potential confounder in the relationship between obesity and dental erosion.