What is tooth wear and how is it treated?
Over time you may have started to experience that your teeth have become slightly yellower, slightly more translucent, thinner or more sensitive. What your teeth are suffering from is what is known as tooth wear, which may be part of tooth ageing itself. However, there are a number of factors that can accelerate this wear and cause other complications.
What you need to know to solve tooth wear.
- What is tooth wear?
- What causes tooth wear?
- How is tooth wear treated?
1. What is tooth wear?
Technically, tooth wear is the loss of thickness and surface area of tooth enamel, i.e. the outermost layer of tooth enamel. This wear is part of the ageing process of the teeth. However, some factors can cause this process to occur earlier, affecting both the aesthetics and functionality of the teeth and oral health in general.
Although tooth wear begins by affecting the appearance of the teeth, it is important to bear in mind that, in the long term, teeth become more fragile. As the enamel, their protective layer, weakens, they are more prone to trauma and dental diseases such as caries, or experience increased sensitivity, which affects chewing function.
Dental enamel, which is damaged by erosion, is a hard, translucent layer between 2 to 3 millimetres thick, composed of hydroxyapatite and, as you may have guessed, has the function of protecting the tooth structure against external stimuli. Therefore, preventing premature dental wear is essential to keep the dental structure in good health, hence the importance of knowing what can cause it.
2. What causes tooth wear?
There are several factors (intrinsic and extrinsic) that can cause this dental health problem and which give rise to the three known types of dental wear:
2.1. diet-related problems that cause dental erosion.
Tooth erosion is a type of tooth surface wear caused by chemical or acidic dissolution. In this case, erosion begins to manifest itself through discolouration of the teeth, tooth sensitivity and loss of surface area on the teeth, which may lose their opacity and even begin to show cracks.
Too frequent consumption of carbonated drinks, acidic fruit juices, citrus fruits, foods with a high sugar content, wine… but also stomach problems such as gastro-oesophageal reflux, or eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia can cause dental erosion.
2.2. Occlusion problems leading to dental attrition.
Occlusion problems, i.e. various dental or jawbone malpositions, as well as bruxism can lead to unwanted contact between opposing teeth and excessive friction resulting in premature wear. Wear due to bite problems or tooth grinding is known as attrition.
Dental attrition usually affects the occlusal and incisal as well as the interproximal surfaces of the teeth. It usually appears on the molars, where greater force is exerted during chewing or the clenching of the teeth due to bruxism, which can even be accompanied by fractures and increased tooth sensitivity.
2.3. An inadequate brushing technique that causes dental abrasion.
Dental abrasion is the progressive loss of enamel due to mechanical actions unrelated to chewing or biting. An incorrect and aggressive toothbrushing technique is the main cause of this type of wear, which can also be related to other actions such as using the teeth to remove bottle caps or hold pins, nails, etc., i.e. using them as another tool.
With dental abrasion, grooves may appear on the surface of the teeth and you may begin to experience increased tooth sensitivity to changes in food temperature. With this type of wear, it is also common to have a greater propensity to suffer from other diseases such as dental caries.
3. How is tooth decay treated?
The treatment of dental wear will depend on its aetiology. Therefore, in order to propose and carry out the best treatment, it is essential during the diagnostic stage to determine the main cause of tooth wear. In each case, the specialist will be able to recommend a technique to alleviate or reverse the wear suffered by the teeth. Thus, if the patient suffers:
3.1. Dental erosion.
In the case of dental erosion, it is essential to correct harmful eating habits. It may be necessary to turn to other professionals such as dieticians or eating disorder specialists who can help to re-establish a good relationship with food and improve eating habits.
On a functional and aesthetic level, dentistry can offer cosmetic dental and conservative treatments to solve wear and tear problems. These are those mentioned above such as inlays, dental crowns on teeth, or dental veneers.
3.2. Dental attrition.
The solutions will be the use of a dental splint for bruxism or orthodontic treatment. In the first case, the bruxing patient will be able to see the tension in the temporomandibular joint released, as well as avoid the habitual teeth grinding of this problem through the use of splints during the hours of sleep, or the application of Botox to relax the muscles: in both cases the attrition will be prevented from progressing.
In more severe cases, with greater dental deterioration, it may be necessary to resort to dental rehabilitation and reconstruction techniques such as inlays or the placement of crowns on severely fractured teeth with the aim of reinforcing the affected dental structures.
In the second case, the problem of dental malocclusion causing attrition must be resolved by the use of a fixed (brackets) or removable (Invisalign splints) orthodontic appliance that corrects the dental alignment so that the contact between antagonist teeth is correct. On the other hand, if there is a problem in the jaws, it may be necessary to carry out a type of surgery known as orthognathic surgery.
3.3. Dental abrasion.
Since the main cause of abrasion is the application of an inadequate oral hygiene technique, it is important that the patient learns to use the correct brushing technique with vertical movements. It will be advisable to talk to the specialist who can make recommendations on the right toothbrush and toothpaste to prevent the evolution of the abrasion.
On the other hand, it may be necessary to resort to the placement of crowns, inlays or veneers depending on the deterioration of the teeth. In the case of dental veneers, it will be possible to choose a whiter shade to correct the colour defects caused by the loss of tooth enamel.
In addition, if the specialist considers it appropriate, it is possible to resort to less invasive tooth whitening techniques to recover a more aesthetic colour. At Clinicas Udemax we use a safe technique with no contraindications, however, each case is different and in order to carry out the best personalised treatment, we recommend a first visit, with no obligation.
