The present review aims to give an overview of the literature focusing on novel genetic aspects of dental erosion and dental caries. Once the tooth erupts into the oral cavity, the regenerative capability of enamel is fundamentally limited due to the loss of dental epithelium during eruption. The susceptibility or resistance to dental erosion and caries is presumably a result of environmental, phenotypic, and/or genetic influence. Even though it is evident that individuals frequently exposing their teeth to acid and sugar are at high risk of developing dental erosion and caries, the findings exclusively based on these factors are elusive.

Stainless-steel crowns (SSCs) are recommended for restorative treatment of young teeth severely affected by caries, fractures or dental developmental disorders (DDDs). However, despite recommendations and clinical evidence, SSCs are not widely used by general dentists, who favour extraction and more conventional restorations. The present study aimed to investigate the views of and use of SSCs among Norwegian and Finnish dentists.

The present work suggests that protein profiling in saliva may provide a tool for determining differences in risk for erosive tooth wear. This may be of value when determining lifetime risks of loss of dental structure. To identify the risk at an early stage of the disease gives us the opportunity to implement proper individualized prevention

This survey shows that Finnish dentists are rather homogeneous in their treatment decisions when managing primary tooth caries or a severely affected MIH tooth, although some practices vary between general and specialised dentists. Moreover, the disparity in treatment practices between different areas of Finland is evident. The proportion of SSC as a material choice was low. Patient co-operation plays a big role in treatment decisions and may explain why GICs were the most popular choice for restoring extensive primary tooth caries. The emphasis should be on behavioural management as well as on the evidence-based treatment recommendations.

When dentists are treating children with dental caries or DDDs, they must decide the most appropriate treatment in each case. The results of the present study showed a notable disparity between clinician’s
treatment choices. In summary, the clinicians based their treatment choice mostly on patient cooperation, prognosis of the tooth and own experience. The results indicate that Norwegian dentists in PDS evaluate each case individually and base their decisions on what they consider is the best for the individual child.