Compared with other countries, the incidence of erosions among German adolescents was relatively low. However, comparability is limited because the incidence estimates in this study refer exclusively to clinically manifest erosive defects and do not include the initial loss of surface structures. The larger number of newly placed extensive restorations among affected individuals suggests that restorative treatment is attributable to erosion rather than to caries. However, the contribution of mechanical wear was not evaluated in this study. Although the incidence of dental erosion is low in adolescents, it is substantially higher in adults; nonetheless, few individuals exhibit severe clinical manifestations. The findings suggest that the prevalence of tooth wear in middle-aged adults may increase modestly in the future with potential implications for dental care needs. (Quintessence Int 2026;57(Suppl):S90-S97; doi: 10.3290/j.qi.b6955490).
Meyer-Lueckel et al. (Tue,) studied this question.