Assessment knowledge of dental erosion, signs and symptoms, and causes among adult in Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional survey

Abstract

Introduction:
Dental erosion results from the chemical effect of nonbacteria origin. The causes of dental erosion could be from the intrinsic or extrinsic origin. Dental erosion is a silent disease as symptoms and signs occur gradually.


Aims:
To assess the knowledge of adults in Saudi Arabia about the causes, signs, symptoms, and factors that increase the possibility of getting dental erosion.


Materials and Methods:
A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online-based self-administrated questionnaire. The sampling was convenient with a snowball effect. It was divided into four sections; demographic data, signs, and symptoms, causes, and factors that increase acidic effect.


Results and Discussion:
A total of 765 respondents completed the online survey. Looking at dental erosion signs and symptoms, 57% identified chipping of the incisal edge of the teeth, and 47.6% increased teeth translucency. Asking the participants about causes of dental erosion 59% identified soft drinks and citrus fruit, followed by 44% putting lemon near the teeth for a long time. Eighty-three percent of the participants recorded visiting the dentist when noticing signs or symptoms of dental erosion. The responses highlighted dental students had higher level of knowledge compared to other.


Conclusion:
Increasing public awareness of dental erosion is important, as only a third of all participants were able to identify three or more dental erosion signs and symptoms, and 10% identified 5 out of 8 dental erosion causes. Participants with dental backgrounds showed the highest percentage of identifying dental erosion causes and, signs and symptoms, however, it is still low. Therefore, improving dental erosion learning outcomes should be improved in our colleges.