How dentists diagnose and treat erosive tooth wear in Finland? – A questionnaire survey

Abstract

Objectives To investigate Finnish dentists’ knowledge on and means of recording and diagnosing erosive tooth wear (ETW). Treatment options and possible differences in treatment decisions between general and specialized dentists were also evaluated. Materials and Methods An electronic questionnaire was sent to 3,664 Finnish dentists by e-mail. Respondents’ gender, age, work experience, field of specialty, and practice location were requested. The questionnaire also included a patient case where the dentists were asked about their choice of treatment. Statistical analyses were performed using means, proportions, and cross tabulations. Results Response rate was 24% (n=866). Almost all respondents (98.0%) recorded ETW in patient files, but only 4.1% used a detailed scoring system. Of the respondents, 64.4% usually found the cause for ETW. Probable causes were reported to be use of carbonated beverages (84.3%), energy drinks (57.0%), and reflux disease (53.1%). The majority of the respondents (80.9%) usually assessed patient’s dietary history while 1.9% evaluated saliva secretion rate. When asked about treatment decisions of ETW patients the differences between general dentists and specialized dentists were not as obvious as hypothesized. Conclusions This study suggests that the dentists in Finland are relatively up-to-date regarding clinical recording and diagnosis of ETW. However, they do not feel they have enough competence in detecting the cause of ETW. Differences in treatment decisions between general dentists and specialized dentists seem to be moderate. Clinical Relevance The treatment practices for ETW are not established and further research to create clinical guidelines seems to be needed. Key words Erosive tooth wear, Dental Erosion, Diagnosing, Dentists