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Background: Easily applied, age-specific standards are useful in assisting clinicians to decide whether the extent of tooth wear observed in a given patient at a specific age is acceptable or whether intervention is indicated. Method: A simple method of scoring tooth wear and previously established mathematical relationships between tooth wear scores and age, provide the basis of a method for predicting tooth wear scores. In its most specific form, the method can be used to predict tooth wear scores for individual patients at subsequent ages. Alternatively, tables or graphs can be consulted to provide a less precise prediction of tooth wear that can assist clinicians to decide whether the amount of wear reflects high, moderate or low rates of wear at the specified age. Conclusion: In cases where there is no reason to believe that aetiological factors have changed significantly over time, data obtained from the methods described can assist clinicians to plan appropriate management for patients presenting with unacceptable levels of tooth wear. Key words: Tooth wear; attrition; erosion; abrasion; scoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nature and frequency of dental wear facets were studied in a sample of 18-year-old Aborigines, 28 males and 31 females, living at Yuendumu in the Northern Territory of Australia. Facet frequencies were scored indirectly using dental models for all permanent teeth, except third molars, and evidence of non-masticatory tooth grinding in eccentric jaw positions was also recorded. The interplay between attrition and abrasion in an individual over time was assessed by examining facet appearance on serial dental models obtained at approximately yearly intervals from 7 to 25 years of age. Facetting was found to be a very common feature of the Aboriginal dentitions, with frequencies ranging from around 65% for pre-molars to about 90% for molars. Evidence of extreme mandibular movement was noted in 93% of males and 100% of females. The longitudinal observations indicated that wear facet definition varied over time, apparently due to episodes of tooth grinding superimposed on continually-acting abrasive influences. These results show that facetting on teeth associated with extreme mandibular positions and, by inference, the related behaviour of tooth grinding or bruxism are very common features in dentitions of Australian Aboriginals living an essentially non-industrial way of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]