Tooth surface loss and associated factors among factory workers in Finland and Tanzania

The relative importance of various factors in the occurrence of tooth surface loss was explored in a, cross-sectional study using blind dental examinations. Two samples were drawn; one from Finland, comprising 186 workers from four factories and another from Tanzania of 180 workers from two factories. Among the 326 dentate individuals who participated, 164 were exposed to acid fumes and 162 were not. In Finland, people with tooth surface loss were older and smoked cigarettes less frequently. In Tanzania, those with tooth surface loss were also older and the proportion of subjects with the condition was significantly higher among people not using a commercial toothbrush and those exposed to acids. Among the Tanzanians, exposure to acids increased the probability of tooth surface loss to a high level of significance, and increasing age increased its probability, both among the Finns and the Tanzanians. Both anterior and posterior teeth were affected. It can be concluded that if the exposure to acids from the air breathed is high, the probability of tooth surface loss will increase. It seems that explanatory factors for tooth surface loss from one society cannot be extrapolated to another.