Prevalence of Noncarious Cervical Lesions and Their Relation to Occlusal Aspects: A Clinical Study

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess noncarious cervical lesions in young patients and to establish a possible relation with occlusal aspects.
Materials and Methods: Forty-eight dental students (28 males; 20 females) between the ages of 16 and 24 years, were investigated to verify the presence of noncarious cervical lesions and their relation to some occlusal aspects. The assessment involved a questionnaire, clinical examinations, and model analysis.
Results: The results indicated that the lower first molars (21.3%), the upper first molars (16.0%), the upper first premolars (12.8%), the lower first premolars (11.7%), and the lower second premolars (11.7%) were the teeth most affected by the lesions. Age was a significant factor with respect to the presence of lesions; the students with noncarious cervical lesions were older than the students who showed no lesions. Among the 79 teeth exhibiting lesions, 62 (78.5%) showed wear facets. In the group with lesions, the mean, per subject, was 15.0 teeth with wear facets, whereas in the group without lesions the mean was 10.8 teeth with wear facets per subject, suggesting that occlusal stress has some effect on lesion development.
CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE
Noncarious cervical lesions are characterized by loss of tooth structure on the cervical area of the tooth and can result in esthetic problems for the patient, as well as discomfort due to the hyper-sensibility that often occurs at the location of the lesion. The results obtained reinforce the multifactorial theory, shared by several authors, for the etiology of such lesions. However, as the limitations of each etiologic agent begin to be understood, there will be a decrease in the possibility of misleading interpretations of the result of present or future investigations.