Title: Dental Erosion
Abstract:
Currently exists an excessive or unusual increasing of the consumption of acidic beverages as a part of lifestyle, consequently erosive lesions have also been more evident. Increased prevalence of dental erosion has stimulated the development of strategies to prevent or control its effect.
Dental erosion is a slow demineralization process primarily without non-bacterial chemical involvement caused either by intrinsic or extrinsic acidic factors which ultimately result in a considerable loss of dental hard tissues. It is a multifactorial process which the compromising level of this situation depends on the balance between chemical, behavioral and biological risk factors.
In the early stages, it primarily affects enamel and provokes enamel softening followed by the loss of natural gloss as the first clinical sign. Progressively the underlying dentin is exposed to the oral environment, it causes hypersentivity, loss of hard tissues and anatomical form.
Several reports have already stated that acidic drinks can damage enamel when they are directly in contact with this surface, promoting a rough texture and gradual wear. The role of the diet on the development of dental erosion is notable and is based mainly on juices, soft drinks and some alcoholic mixed drinks, and actually sports/isotonic drinks and pre workout beverages. The consumption of these last beverages has increased in the lifestyle, fitness athletes and high-performance athletes. Our studies also have demonstrated that sport/isotonic drinks caused a diminution of enamel/dentin micro hardness and increased the enamel/dentin roughness after an in vitro erosion challenge. Related to pre workout beverages, which are acid drinks, caused a diminution of enamel microhardness and increase of percentage loss of surface microhardness (%SML)
Given this scenario, many professionals have been encouraging patients to pursue early interventions when signs are detected, avoiding continuous structural damage to the hard tissue. Some specific dental erosion index is essential for an early diagnosis. Basic Erosive Wear Examination (BEWE) index have been proposed to facilitate diagnosis and help the prevention and mangementlesions. This index is useful, easy to apply even in private practice or epidemiological studies.
In this context, bonding restorative procedures are commonly chosen to re-establish the tooth’s natural appearance and the function demanded by patients. Enamel and dentin eroded has a modified structure which could be affect adhesion procedures. However, few information is available about dental erosion and acid drinks as isotonic drinks and pre workout beverages, also erosive process itself to altered substrates from a bonding point of view either.
