BEWE
Pronunciation: BEE-wee
Also written as: BEWE — Basic Erosive Wear Examination
Acronym for Basic Erosive Wear Examination, a simplified clinical scoring system used in dental research to grade the severity of tooth surface loss caused by erosion.
Full Definition
The Basic Erosive Wear Examination (BEWE) is a scoring index developed by Bartlett and colleagues (2008) to standardise the assessment of erosive tooth wear in epidemiological studies and clinical trials. It divides the dentition into sextants and assigns each a score from 0 (no erosive tooth wear) to 3 (hard tissue loss ≥50% of the surface). BEWE scores are cumulative across sextants, yielding a total score that guides clinical management. In editorial practice, the acronym must be defined at first use, and editors should verify that authors do not conflate erosive wear with abrasion or attrition, which are distinct mechanisms of tooth surface loss.
Usage
Usage note: Expand at first use. Editors should ensure authors do not conflate 'erosion' with 'abrasion' or 'attrition' when reporting BEWE scores, as these are mechanistically distinct.
In Context
- "Erosive tooth wear severity was quantified using the BEWE index, with a cumulative score ≥9 indicating high risk." — Methods section of a dietary acids and dental erosion study
- "The BEWE (Basic Erosive Wear Examination) was preferred over other indices due to its validated use in epidemiological surveys." — Justification paragraph in a research protocol