Factors influencing cervical abrasion among school going adolescents - An analytical cross-sectional study in Puducherry

Abstract

Introduction: Cervical abrasion is wearing out of the tooth caused by external mechanical forces on the tooth surface other than tooth-tooth contact. This non-carious tooth surface loss most commonly occurs due to over brushing. It often leads to sensitivity, plaque trapping, periodontal disease and cavities. Objectives: 1. To find out the prevalence of cervical abrasion among school going adolescents. 2. To determine the factors influencing the development of cervical abrasion among school going adolescents. Materials and methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was carried out in Presidency Higher Secondary School, Puducherry and Stansford International school, Puducherry was conducted by the team of Laugh and Smile dental clinic, Puducherry. 500 school students from the standards of 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 were screened in this study. Results: Significant association was present between cervical abrasion and factors such as aggressive brushing, nail biting, pica and the use of abrasive toothpastes. Males also show a higher prevalence of cervical abrasion compared to females. The P-value indicates that these associations are statistically significant, suggesting that those behaviors may be risk factors for cervical abrasion. Conclusion: Frequent dental check-ups would help in diagnosing these conditions at early stages which in turn would prevent severe complications in the future.