The association of tooth wear, diet and dietary habits in adults aged 18-30 years old.

Objective: The association of acidic foods and drinks to the development of erosive tooth wear was investigated in a single cohort of adults aged 18-30 years.

Methods: A tooth wear index was recorded on 1010 participant's who had a mean age of 21.9 years (SD 0.1) and of which 70% were female and 30% males. Participant's completed a previously validated questionnaire containing 50 questions about current and historical dietary habits. Data were analysed at the tooth level using odds ratio.

Results: Tooth wear was statistically significantly associated to acidic foods and drinks with high titratable acidity and dietary habits, including drinking from a glass and holding drinks, (OR 5 and 6.5 respectively). A history of heartburn was statistically significantly associated to palatal dentine exposure (p≤0.05 and OR 7.6).

Conclusions: In this sample of adults, tooth wear was associated to a number of acidic dietary products and drinking habits.