Are you noticing your teeth becoming more sensitive or changing in appearance? Our dental team can assess your teeth for signs of erosion and tooth wear, and recommend treatments to protect your enamel and preserve your oral health.
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Erosion and Tooth Wear
Although tooth wear is not top-of-mind for most people, it is a dental condition that affects most people. Because we are now living longer, our teeth are ‘hanging around’ a lot longer and are subjected to abuse from our day-to-day living.
Tooth wear can cause:
- Shorter teeth – changing in facial vertical dimension
- Sensitive teeth
- Darker teeth – as enamel thins, the darker dentine ‘shines’ through
- Chipped/broken teeth
- Jaw, neck pain
Problematic tooth wear is frequently attributed to erosion, abrasion, or attrition.
Erosion
Erosion is explained as the loss of hard dental tissue related to chemical processes not involving bacteria. The main culprits of erosion are acidic foods and beverages but for some people, stomach acid is the cause of their erosion (GORD, bulimia). Dehydration plays a major role in erosion – lack of saliva alone makes for an acidic environment in the mouth. These cause thinning of enamel, smooth/shiny surfaces, loss of surface characteristics, dentine exposure and grooves.
Abrasion
Sometimes tooth wear is a result of repeatedly misusing teeth. Abrasion refers to lost tooth structure from pressure caused by foreign objects or aggressively brushing teeth. While tooth translucency and grooves can be symptomatic of erosion, wedge-shaped lesions on teeth are a frequently cited symptom of abrasion from tooth brushing. Even ordinary toothpaste can damage teeth when paired with aggressive brushing.
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Erosion and Tooth Wear Treatment
Because tooth wear cannot be reversed, early intervention is vital. To treat patients who demonstrate tooth wear, our team at Kedron Family Dental follows a comprehensive consultation agenda. When tooth wear is evident, the patient’s medical history, saliva, lifestyle habits and diet are discussed in order to determine the cause and aid to devise a preventive and treatment plan.
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Where to find us
Kedron Family Dental
1/138 Gympie Rd,
Kedron QLD 4031, Australia
Public Transport
The clinic is conveniently located just a 2-minute walk from Stop 25- Leckie Road on the busy 370 bus route. Free on-site parking available.