Presentation, diagnosis and initial management of patients referred to a hospital tooth wear clinic.

Information on presenting complaints, diagnosis and initial management strategy was recorded on a proforma for 114 consecutive patients referred to a hospital tooth wear clinic over a two-year period. Over twice as many male patients were referred as females. Twenty percent of patients had no presenting complaint and the others shared the common complaints concerning appearance, sensitivity and their deteriorating dentitions. The assessment of aetiology identified attrition as the most common cause of tooth wear in the subject group studied. About half the group were prescribed preventative treatment only and the other half were deemed to require restorative dental treatment.