Factores asociados a la atrición dentaria en adultos con dentición permanente.

Abstract

Introduction: Dental attrition represents a condition of progressive wear of dental tissues with functional, esthetic, and oral health implications, whose prevalence is increasing in adults due to factors such as greater dental longevity, parafunctional habits, dietary changes, and occlusal alterations. Objective: To determine the different factors associated with dental attrition in adults with permanent dentition. Methods: A quantitative, observational cross-sectional study was conducted to analyze 30 patients with dental attrition who attended the UCSG Dental Clinic during the B-2025 academic period. A direct intraoral clinical examination was performed to observe dental surfaces and record the degree of wear using the Tooth Wear Index, along with a structured questionnaire to collect information on parafunctional habits, consumption of hard or abrasive foods, chewing pattern, and occlusal history. Results: Partial enamel loss without dentin exposure was observed in 56.7% of patients, and the most affected surface was incisal/occlusal (96.7%). The evaluated factors showed that 60% of patients had parafunctional habits, 46.7% presented shiny facets, 80% reported frequent consumption of hard or abrasive foods, 70% exhibited bilateral occlusion, 73.3% had an alternating preferred chewing pattern, and posterior occlusal support according to the Eichner Index was classified as A (53.3%) and B (43.3%), with functional units present in 86.7% of the right arch and 80.0% of the left arch. None of the evaluated factors showed statistical significance (p-value ≥ 0.05). Conclusion: In this cohort of patients, the observed degree of attrition was independent of the different factors analyzed.