Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 27, 2026

Mimicking and Measuring Occlusal Erosive Tooth Wear with the "Rub&Roll" and Non-contact Profilometry
Published on: February 2, 2018
Salivary factors affecting dental erosion in children
1Department of Paediatric Dentistry, Leeds Dental Institute, Leeds, UK. DENEAO@leeds.ac.uk
Abstract:
Dental erosion is becoming a major dental problem in both children and adults. The aim of this study was to measure the salivary flow rates, buffering capacity and mutans streptococci counts in children with erosion, and compare them to age- and sex-matched caries-free and caries-active individuals to establish which factors may be important in erosion. The study was conducted as a case-control study with standard methods of salivary and mutans streptococci measurement. The results showed significant differences for mutans streptococci counts (p = 0.05), unstimulated and stimulated salivary pH and buffering capacity (p = 0.001). These results suggest that although individuals with erosion have caries experience similar to a caries-free individual, their salivary characteristics more closely match those of a caries-active subject. The tests described are simple to carry out and may be useful in explaining individual patient susceptibility.
Related Concept Videos
Solubility Equilibria: Overview
Solubility is important in biological and environmental processes. A notable...
Salivary Glands and Saliva
Teeth
In the bud stage, the tooth germ (an aggregation of cells) starts to form in the developing jawbone. During the cap stage, the tooth germ differentiates into enamel organ, dental papilla, and dental sac, which will later develop into the tooth's enamel, dentin and...
Tooth Anatomy
The Crown, Neck, and Root
The visible part of the tooth is referred to as the crown. It's covered by enamel, the hardest substance in the human body. The crown is uniquely shaped for each type of tooth, allowing for different functions such as cutting, tearing, or grinding food.
The Oral Microbiota
Development of the Oral Microbiota

