Worn Tooth | Worn Teeth Treatment

Despite its strength, the outer tooth surface can be worn down to expose the weaker dentine below.
This exposed dentine can be sensitive, be more prone to decay and is much more readily worn.

If wear occurs very rapidly there can be a resultant loss of facial height – your chin will appear closer to your nose.
Sagging cheeks and deeper creasing of the lips at the corners of the mouth arise from this collapse.

How do teeth wear?

One or more of the three factors listed below cause excessive wear:

Attrition

Bruxism is the grinding of teeth against teeth and it is always involved where there is an accelerated loss of tooth height.

Bruxism most commonly occurs at night while you are asleep – many people are unaware of this habit and the damage it’s causing.

Abrasion

Enamel can be “abraded” away by foreign objects. Examples of this are:

Tooth brush abrasion

The use of medium or hard bristle brushes or particularly abrasive toothpastes will accelerate enamel loss.

Biting of fingernails, chewing on pens or holding objects between teeth

Oral Jewellery

Lip and tongue piercings often wear away or cause the fracture of adjacent teeth.

Erosion

The chemical wear of enamel is called erosion. The chemical involved is an acid and it can come from a number of sources:

Citrus foods

Lemons, Limes, Oranges and Grapefruits and some candies (particular sour candies) contain Citric Acid

Most soft drinks, sports drinks and fruit juices are very acidic

Coffee and tea contain corrosive acids

Red and white wine are highly acidic

Stomach Acids

Bulimic individuals and those who suffer from gastric reflux regularly expose their teeth to harsh acids.

Dry mouth

Chronic dehydration reduced salivary gland function and some medications can all cause a drop in the amount of saliva present. The saliva that does remain is often quite acidic.

How do we treat wear?

Prevention

As with all medical conditions, treatment often begins with recognising and preventing causative factors:

Control bruxism.

As a condition with multiple causative factors, this is easier said than done. A properly fitted and adjusted occlusal splint worn while sleeping is a common protective device. READ MORE >

Change to soft bristled or electric toothbrushes and less abrasive toothpastes
Curb oral habits such as nail biting and remove oral jewellery
Recognise and reduce dietary acids.

Many can’t be completely avoided so after use, rinse your mouth well with water and don’t brush your teeth until about 30 minutes after the acid is washed away.

Seek medical help bulimia or gastric reflux issues.
Drink adequate daily water to prevent dehydration. This is often listed as 1.5L per day.
Have salivary gland function tested if you have regular and unexplained dry mouth.
Explore if there are effective alternatives to medications that cause dry mouth.

Correction

Correction is not always a straight forward process of simply replacing the structure lost with a dental restorative material. The treatment required often depends on the rate that the wear occurred.