Course Abstract:

Contact Hours (CE): The Academy of Dental Learning and OSHA Training, LLC, designates this activity for 2 continuing education credits (2 CEs).
Cost:$30.00
Questions? Contact Us: Phone: 800-522-1207, Fax: 800-886-3009, or Email: cesupport@dentallearning.org
Published: October 2012
Updated: September 2020
Expires: October 2023
Pages: 31
Course Instructor: Anne P. Doods, BDS, MPH, PhD
Health Science Editor: Megan Wright, RDH, MS
No conflicts of interest are reported by the author or by educational planning committee members.

Educational Objectives

• Describe the epidemiology and pathophysiology of dental erosion
• Identify the behaviors that have been identified as “high risk” in the development of dental erosion
• Describe other common causes of tooth structure loss – Bruxism, Abrasion and Attrition, and their relevance to dental erosion
• Describe the clinical signs and symptoms of erosion
• Describe the host modifying factors that affect the development of erosion
• Apply appropriate dental clinical techniques in the management of dental erosion.

Course Description

This course describes the epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical diagnosis and treatment of dental erosion. Erosion is the process by which tooth mineral is irreversibly lost due to the action of acid. This is a direct pH effect that occurs when the critical pH of dental enamel (<.5.5) is breached. All acids, whether from intrinsic (such as that produced by gastric acid reflux) or extrinsic sources (e.g. dietary such as yogurt, pickles, soft drinks – especially sports drinks), are capable of demineralizing tooth enamel if they produce a pH at the enamel surface that is lower then the critical pH. The early signs of erosion are often difficult to diagnose and a definitive diagnosis may require long-term monitoring of the progression of tooth wear with study casts and photographs. Only preventive, provisional or temporary treatment should be given for erosion lesions until the causative condition is determined and treated and the erosion is controlled and stabilized.

In addition to erosion, there are other forms of non-caries destructive processes that result in a loss of tooth structure. These processes include abrasion, attrition, and resoption. Destruction of tooth structure is almost never caused by a single process, as they often co-exist.

About the Authors

Dr. Doods graduate from the University of Edinburgh Dental School and following two years in a community dental practice moved to San Antonio, Texas in 1987. She obtained an MPH a the UTHSC-Houston and secured a teaching appointment at the UTHSC-San Antonio in the Department of Community Dentistry. She obtained a Certificate of Pediatric Dentistry from San Antonio in 2000 and PhD in Cellular and Structural Biology in 2001. Since 2000 she has been a faculty member a the University of North Carolina, Department of Pediatric Dentistry where she has carried out research in early dental development and treated patients in Dental Faculty Practice and UNC Hospital. She has been involved in AHEC and has written dental continuing education classes for more than ten years.

Ms. Wright is a continuing education editor and writer as well as a Temp PRN with agencies in the Washington State area. Ms. Wright earned her MS at the UNM and Pierce College of Washington State in 1997 and certification in Utilization of the 970 Diode Laser and Safety in Dentistry in February of 2015. Ms. Wright works to implement Dental Education seminars as a Hospital-Dental Liaison building collaborative, mutual efforts to promote patient wellness between medical practitioners and dentists while prioritizing care for untreated, medially compromised patients.

How to Take This Course