Assessment of tooth wear in an ageing population.

A random sample of 2222 adults aged 45 years and over was taken from the age/sex registers of two general medical practices in Newcastle upon Tyne, and asked to take part in a dental health survey. A total of 1002 individuals agreed to take part and were visited in their homes. Five hundred and eighty-six subjects were dentate and able to undergo an assessment of tooth wear using the Tooth Wear Index (TWI). Increasing wear with increasing age was observed for all cervical and occlusal/incisal tooth surfaces. Occlusal/incisal surfaces displayed some of the highest mean wear scores, especially in the older age cohorts. With the exception of lingual surfaces of maxillary anterior teeth, no significant variation in tooth wear with age was noted for buccal or lingual surfaces. Greater mean wear scores were observed among males than females, but there was little variation between subjects of different social class backgrounds. The threshold levels of wear suggested for use with the TWI may require modification for use among elderly populations.