A difference in perspective--the North American and European interpretations of tooth wear.

TLDR

European dental research shows strong interest in tooth wear and erosion, whereas North American literature is comparatively sparse. The article examines why North America shows less interest than Europe by reviewing literature on the etiology, pathogenesis, and prevalence of tooth wear and exploring differences in terminology and interpretation. The review finds that European studies outnumber North American ones and emphasize erosion as the primary etiology over attrition.

Abstract

There is considerable interest in the European dental research literature about the problem of tooth wear and specifically about dental erosion, but this interest does not appear to be matched in North America based on the volume of the literature there. The purpose of this article is to consider the possible explanations for this difference.This article examines the reasons for this disparity and attempts to explain the difference by reviewing the North American and European literature on the etiology, pathogenesis, and prevalence of tooth wear.It would appear from the literature that the reason for the difference in interest between the 2 continents is a reflection of how the appearance, etiology, and terminology are interpreted and used to define tooth wear, attrition, and erosion.Attrition is the wear of teeth against teeth; therefore, by definition any worn surface that does not contact the opposing tooth must have another etiology. A search of the literature shows more studies in the European literature of the etiology and prevalence of tooth wear than in the North American literature. The thrust of the European studies supports the view that erosion is more important than attrition in the etiology of tooth wear.