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Background:The retention of natural teeth and tooth wear is observed to be increasing among old people. Consequently, tooth wear may become a major dental problem among old people. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and distribution of tooth wear among the elderly in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. Subjects and Methods: The study was an observational research design among the elderly population in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The subjects were selected by systematic random sampling and data collected using pilot-tested questionnaire. Tooth wear was recorded using tooth wear index, of Smith and Knight. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20. Chi-square analysis was used to test association between variables, and statistical significance inferred at P < 0.05 at 95% confidence interval. Results: The prevalence of tooth wear among the study participants was 83.2%. Approximately 40% had mild tooth wear and 177 had moderate tooth wear. Severe tooth wear was seen in 7.2% of the respondents. Attrition was observed in 10,362 (76.3%) teeth examined. Tooth wear significantly occurred in the mandible than the maxilla (P = 0.023). The prevalence of tooth wear was 38.0%, 28.4%, 19.9%, and 13.7% for the molar, premolar, incisors, and canine, respectively, in the maxilla and mandible combined. Conclusion: The results of this study compare with the findings of other Nigerian studies in a similar population. However, when compared to other studies in similar population from Western cultures and China, the observed pattern of tooth wear was different. Therefore, there is a need to develop appropriate local measures for the prevention of tooth wear lesions.

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