Influence of abrasion in clinical manifestation of human dental erosion

The influence of abrasion from oral soft tissues on softened enamel lesion remineralization and erosion development was investigated. Using orange juice, softened enamel lesions were produced on 20 human premolars assigned randomly to 10 volunteers. Sections used as control and two test slabs were cut from each tooth. One of the two slabs from each tooth had an appliance built on it, which protected the lesion from abrasion. The two slabs (with/without appliance) were bonded to the palatal surfaces of upper right and left lateral incisor teeth of the participants who chewed sugar-free gum four times daily. After 28-day intra-oral exposure, mineral loss (ΔZ) and lesion depth (Id) in both control and test samples were quantified using transverse microradiography, and the data was analysed by paired t-test. ΔZ was significantly lower in lesions with appliance (protected), but higher in lesions without appliance (unprotected) when compared with control (unexposed). Similar pattern was observed with lesion depth. In unprotected slabs the lesions were abraded resulting in eroded enamel lesions. It was concluded that erosion observed clinically is the combined effect of demineralization of the tooth surface by an erosive agent and abrasion of the demineralized surface by surrounding oral soft tissues and through food mastication. Abrasion from oral soft tissues can contribute to site-specificity of dental erosion.