Is snuff a potential risk factor in occlusal wear?

Oral snuff contains fairly high percentages of inorganic, potentially abrasive elements and the use of snuff has been identified as one factor that contributes to occlusal wear. In the first part of the present study, the snuff habits of 100 users were investigated. 41 per cent reported that they sometimes got snuff between their teeth and another 14 per cent said that this happened often. Thirteen and six per cent, respectively, admitted that they sometimes of often used snuff as chewing tobacco. In the second part, an experimental model, using a so-called Bruxcore, was set up to estimate the degree of occlusal wear when chewing snuff compared to when chewing with nothing in the mouth. After 3000 chewing strokes on each plate, the wear of the plate used while chewing snuff was significantly less compared to the plate used while chewing with nothing in the mouth. The most likely explanation for this finding is that the salivary flow was more than twice as high when chewing snuff compared to chewing with nothing in the mouth, and that the saliva serves as a lubricant that protects the surface from wear. It is concluded that the use of oral snuff is not an important risk factor in occlusal wear.