Attrition, occlusion, (dys)function, and intervention: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVES

Attrition and occlusal factors and masticatory function or dysfunction are thought to be related. This study aims to systematically review the literature on this topic with the emphasis to find evidence for occlusion-based treatment protocols for attrition.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Literature was searched using PubMed (1980 to 2/2006) and the Cochrane Library of Clinical Trials with the keywords 'tooth' and 'wear'. Five steps were followed. Exclusion was based on the following: (1) reviews, case-reports, studies on non-human tooth material, and studies not published in English and (2) historical or forensic studies. Included were (3) in vivo studies. Next, studies on (4) occlusal factors, function or dysfunction [temporomandibular disorders (TMD), bruxism], or intervention, and (5) attrition were included. Two investigators independently assessed the abstracts; measure of agreement was calculated using Cohen's kappa; disagreement was resolved by discussion. Full-text articles were obtained and correlation between outcomes on occlusal factors, (dys)function, treatment, and attrition were retrieved. References in the papers included in the final analysis were cross-matched with the original list of references to add references that met the inclusion criteria.

RESULTS

The search procedure revealed 1289 references on tooth wear. The numbers of included studies after each step were (1) 345 (kappa=0.8), (2) 287 (kappa=0.87), (3) 174 (kappa=0.99), (4) 81 (kappa=0.71), and (5) 27 (kappa=0.68). Hand searches through the reference lists revealed six additional papers to be included. Analysis of the 33 included papers failed to find sound evidence for recommending a certain occlusion-based treatment protocol above another in the management of attrition.

CONCLUSION

Some studies reported correlations between attrition and anterior spatial relationships. No studies were found suggesting that absent posterior support necessarily leads to increased attrition, though one study found that fewer number of teeth resulted in higher tooth wear index (on the remaining teeth). Attrition seems to be co-existent with self-reported bruxism. Reports on attrition and TMD signs and symptoms provide little understanding of the relationship between the two.