The prevalence of dental attrition and its association with factors of age, gender, occlusion, and TMJ symptomatology.

Dental attrition severity in 222 young adults was assessed from dental casts as the sum of the most severe facet in each arch segment. The attrition scores were compared by age, gender, bruxism awareness, prior bite adjustment, orthodontic class, maxillomandibular relationship, and temporomandibular dysfunction symptoms. Awareness of bruxism was not associated with the wear scores and should not be used to define bruxist groups. Attrition scores did not differ significantly between age groups, indicating that notable attrition, when present, often occurs early. Men had higher attrition scores than women (p less than 0.01), despite fewer signs and symptoms. Dental attrition was not associated with the presence or absence of TMJ clicking, TMJ tenderness, or masticatory muscle tenderness. Class II division 2 males had laterotrusive attrition scores lower than those of Class III (p less than 0.05). Class III females had lower incisor attrition scores than did other Angle Classes (p less than 0.05). Discernible dental attrition in a non-patient population was not associated with signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders, nor with the occlusal factors studied. These results are compatible with the findings in other studies that point to bruxism as a centrally induced phenomenon common to all people and unrelated to local factors.