Knowledge and attitudes related to erosive tooth wear of professional wine tasters: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Objective: this study aimed to evaluate knowledge and attitudes of professional wine tasters about erosive tooth
wear. Material and Methods: two questionnaires were applied to 56 wine tasters during the 25th National
Evaluation of Wines - Safra 2017 in Bento Gonçalves, Rio Grande do Sul. Descriptive data analysis and the
Fisher’s exact test were performed (p < 0.05). Results: for the analysis, 56 volunteers aged 25-76 years were
included. Most of the volunteers reported attending dentist once a year (55.35%) and their teeth become sorer
after ingesting liquids or acid foods (32.14%) over time. The majority (82.14%) believe wine tasting may
have teeth effects and have already heard about erosive tooth wear (51.78%). However, when asked about
symptomatology, more than half (53.57%) reported not to know. Brushing teeth immediately after ingesting
something (37.5%) and increasing the brushing frequency (33.92%) were the most cited treatment options.
The habit of using mouthwash solutions was significantly associated with the professionals age (p = 0.039).
Conclusion: the volunteers reported a high intake of acid substances and, although most of them reported to
consult dentist regularly and have already heard about erosive tooth wear, knowledge about this condition is
still limited among these professionals.

KEYWORDS
Attitude; Knowledge; Oral health; Wine; Professional wine tasters.