Prevalence and risk factors of tooth erosion in children

Tooth erosion is a growing oral health problem among children but data of the prevalence from many countries are inconsistent. The aim of this study was to systematically review the prevalence and risk factor of tooth erosion in children. A PubMed literature search was conducted by filtering the articles published in the last ten years. The studies have reported prevalence rates of tooth erosion ranging from 5-75%. This wide variation is probably related to different diagnostic criteria and study sample characteristics. This review showed that most of the articles suggested dietary habits to be the most common risk factor of tooth erosion, especially lemon and carbonated drink consumption. General health condition such as asthma might increase the risk of tooth erosion. In contrast no studies have reported association between Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Diseases (GERD) and tooth erosion.