Evaluation of three different scoring systems for dental erosion: a comparative study in adolescents

Objectives

The purpose of the study was to evaluate and compare three scoring systems for dental erosion representing different approaches: the recently proposed Basic Erosive Wear Examination (B.E.W.E.), the Simplified Tooth Wear Index (S-T.W.I.), and the Evaluating Index of Dental Erosion (EV.I.D.E.), which are introduced and calibrated in the present study, in order to contribute to the development of a standardised and validated erosion index.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted, in which a random and stratified sample of 502 adolescents aged 14-16 years was examined using the aforementioned scoring systems.

Results

A significant number of Greek adolescents had experienced dental erosion: 58%, 51.6% and 45.2%, according to the B.E.W.E., S-T.W.I. and EV.I.D.E. scores, respectively. Additionally, 22.7-24.3% of the subjects had lesions into dentine (according to the EV.I.D.E. and S-T.W.I. scores respectively), whereas the B.E.W.E. classified all subjects with erosion in the “none” and “low” risk level categories. However, the use of the B.E.W.E. cumulative scores was important for avoiding the overestimation of the prevalence of erosion. The aetiological criteria of the EV.I.D.E. seemed to reduce the false positive cases.

Conclusions

The S-T.W.I. appeared to have the lowest content validity, while the B.E.W.E. was a convenient to use index, with sufficient sensitivity and specificity. Nevertheless, the B.E.W.E. cut-off values have to be reconsidered in order to reflect the severity of the erosive lesions. The B.E.W.E. could also be supplemented with a group of sufficient validated aetiological criteria, which are necessary to establish a more accurate differential diagnosis of dental erosion.