Dental erosion and associated factors among factory workers exposed to inorganic acid fumes.

The occurrence of dental erosion and the relative importance of some related factors were explored in a cross-sectional study, using blind dental examinations. A sample of 186 workers from four factories was drawn. Among the 157 dentate participants 76 were working in departments containing acid fumes and 81 controls had never worked under such conditions. Out of the dentate participants, 20 (12.7% had erosion). Anterior teeth were affected more often than posterior ones. Exposure to acid fumes, increasing age and frequency of intake of fruits increased the probability of dental erosion. It can be concluded that exposure to acid fumes in the work environment is associated with dental erosion especially on anterior teeth.