Methods of assessing erosion and erosive potential

Methods for use in vitro are reviewed first, classified under the examination of extracted teeth, chemical and physical methods, digital image analysis, scanning electron microscopy and other potentially useful techniques. Methods for recording erosion in laboratory animals are dealt with next, including techniques that can also be used in vitro, Restarski's system and various modifications of it, and digital image analysis. Thirdly the main systems and indices that have been designed for clinical use are arranged under case histories and clinical examination, scales of severity and indices of diagnosis of varying complexity. Finally, some of the main advantages and limitations of the techniques are summarized.