March 2012

Objective: To determine the associated factors of tooth wear (TW) among 16-year-old school children. Method and Materials: A random selection of secondary school children from 8 government secondary schools in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia, participated in this casecontrol study. The Smith and Knight Tooth Wear Index and WHO criteria were used to chart tooth wear and dental caries respectively. Saliva analyses used standards recommended by GC Asia Dental. Self-administered questionnaire provided socio-demographic profile of the family, general knowledge of tooth wear, oral hygiene, food and drinks practices and other associated variables for tooth wear. Analysis using multiple logistic regression was performed. Results: Of the 576 children sampled, 40% of the 460 controls were male as were 57% of the 116 in the case group. Multivariate analysis showed gender, monthly household income, carbonated drinks, caries experience, pool swimming, duration of intake of orange juice and hydration rate and viscosity were significantly associated with wear. Conclusion: The factors associated with tooth wear were similar to those encountered in other studies. Oral health promotion activities should emphasise those factors which can be changed. The erosive potential of some foods and drinks require further investigation. Key words: tooth wear, associated factors, Malaysia, Kota Bharu, Kelantan