Knowledge and Awareness of Dental Erosion among Croatian Certified Wine Assessors

The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge and awareness of dental erosion, its etiology and preventive practices among certified Croatian wine assessors.

An anonymous questionnaire structured in two sections was completed by 90 certified Croatian wine assessors, representing more than 80% of active certified assessors in Croatia. The first section covered demographic and professional data, including age, years of professional experience, frequency of wine tasting and habits related to tasting. The second section evaluated participants' knowledge regarding etiology, prevention and therapy pertaining to dental erosion. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and standard statistical tests commonly applied in questionnaire-based studies.

Although the majority of participants visited the dentist regularly, only two-thirds noted that their dentist knew their occupation. Wine assessors' knowledge of dental erosion was not typically associated with dentists' awareness of their occupation. While merely 23% of participants learned about dental erosion from their dentists, 45% acquired this knowledge from other sources. Although 67% of respondents had heard of dental erosion, their factual knowledge was limited. A total of 69% of participants reported no specific oral care practices before or after wine tasting; observable habits were not related to their professional experience.

Awareness of dental erosion among Croatian wine assessors proved insufficient. An appropriate form of education, especially one provided by dentists, is required to emphasize the risks and outline the potential for prevention and treatment of dental erosion.