The Tooth Wear Evaluation System: development and applications

Tooth wear is a multifactorial condition, leading to the loss of dental hard tissues, viz., enamel and dentine. Because of its multifactorial etiology, tooth wear can manifest itself in many different representations, and therefore it can be difficult and demanding to diagnose and manage the condition. In this thesis, the development of a comprehensive modular system is described, the Tooth Wear Evaluation System (TWES). With this system, one can recognize the problem (viz., qualifying the tooth wear), grade the severity (viz., quantifying tooth wear), monitor (the progress of) the condition, and diagnose the likely causes. Furthermore, one is able to determine when to start a treatment, decide which kind of treatment to apply, and estimate the level of difficulty of a restorative treatment.
In the described TWES, all necessary tools for a clinical guideline are present in different modules. This allows the dental clinician, in a general practitioner setting as well as in a referral practice setting, to perform a state-of-the-art diagnostic process. To avoid the risk of a too cumbersome usage, the dental clinician can select only those modules that are appropriate for a given setting. The modules match with each other, which is indispensable and essential when comparisons are needed. Thus, a better patient care can be provided.