PREVALENCE OF OCCLUSAL TOOTH WEAR AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO LATERAL ANDPROTRUSIVE CONTACT SCHEMES IN A YOUNG-ADULT INDIAN POPULATION

The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence and sev erity of occlusal tooth wear and their interrelationships with lateral and protrusive occlusal contact schemes in a young adult Indian popul ation. The material comprised 64 individuals (age: xBAR = 19 years; ra nge, 17-24 years). Assessment of wear was performed by means of a toot h-by-tooth evaluation of casts. Lateral excursive and protrusive conta ct relationships were recorded at the clinical examination. There was no difference in the degree of wear between women and men. Mean occlus al wear was low for the population studied compared with similarly age d Scandinavians and Saudis. No differences in the severity of wear wer e found in relation to lateral excursive and protrusive contact scheme s. Whereas the low wear experience in the present Indian sample may be related to dietary factors, more must be understood about the various other causes of occlusal tooth wear before its functional interdepend ence becomes clear.