The aim of this study was to measure the progression of tooth wear in a cohort 
of 63 patients, 43 males and 20 females with a mean age of 39.1 years. 
Recruitment followed referral from general practice to Guy's Hospital for 
advice/management of tooth wear. Addition silicone impressions were taken at 
6-month intervals for a total of 12 months; impressions were subsequently poured 
in type IV gypsum. Casts were scanned using a non-contacting laser profilometer 
and then superimposed using Geomagic® Qualify 11. Wear was measured in μm by 
tooth per time interval. A questionnaire highlighting dietary, parafunctional 
and gastric risk factors was obtained from each participant. Clustered multiple 
regression analysis was used to determine the relationship between tooth wear 
progression and risk factors. Maximum follow-up times were 6 months for 63 
participants and 12 months for 30 participants. The measurement error was 15 μm. 
At the tooth level, 72.2% of 1,078 teeth wore <15 μm over a 6-month period. At 
the subject level, 77.7% of 63 participants showed median wear <15 μm over a 
6-month period. There was a statistical trend towards tooth wear progression 
being associated with gastric risk factors (p < 0.05). The lower molars and the 
upper anterior teeth were the most commonly affected teeth; the lower molars and 
the upper central incisors were the most severely affected teeth. Tooth wear 
progression was slow in this cohort, suggesting that tooth wear may be cyclical 
and inactive in the majority of participants.