Objective: The basic erosive wear examination (BEWE) is a relatively new index proposed for the screening and recording of tooth wear in adults. The aim of this study was to test the validity and reliability of the BEWE.
Design: Cross sectional study of a sample of 164 adult patients.
Setting: General dental practice in East Lancashire, UK in 2010.
Subjects: Patients attending for routine examination or treatment.
Main outcome measures: By screening patients with the BEWE and comparing the results to the established tooth wear index (TWI) the sensitivity and specificity of the BEWE was established.Results The BEWE predicted moderate to severe wear (BEWE grade 3) with a sensitivity of 48.6% and a specificity of 96.1%, and predicted severe wear with a sensitivity of 90.9% and a specificity of 91.5% (also BEWE score 3). Inter- and intra-examiner reliability for the BEWE were both moderate (κ(w) = 0.43 and 0.57 respectively).
Conclusion(s): BEWE scores show a similar distribution to TWI scores and the examination is an effective screening test for severe tooth wear. The moderate levels of examiner reliability suggests the BEWE scores should be interpreted with some caution.