Why Are My Teeth Wearing Down?
Like the rest of your body, your teeth are meant to last your lifetime. And like the rest of your body, your teeth may suffer from injury or lose density over time. Your teeth can even wear down in ways that are not related to tooth decay or traumatic injury. The type of wear on your teeth can be related to pathologic or physiological conditions. With age, you already know that your body experiences wear and your teeth are no different. Wear from age is normal and can be expected. When the wear is outside of these norms, the type of wear is considered pathological. With pathological wear, you may suffer from diminished functionality, undesired aesthetics and even pain when nerve tissue is not protected. You may even need a dental crown placed.
The three main types of tooth wear are: attrition, abrasion, and erosion.
1. Attrition is the type of tooth wear that is a result of tooth on tooth. People who suffer from bruxism or the clenching and grinding of teeth can expect signs of attrition on their teeth if they do not treat the bruxism. The pressure from biting down hard, the intense pressure, and tooth on tooth contact leave the teeth towards the back of your mouth flatter and the teeth towards the front of your mouth shorter. As the attrition to the front teeth worsens, your facial features may start to change as well. With the flatter and shorter teeth, you will find that your teeth are more sensitive to cold, hot, sweet, and acidic foods and drinks. The cause of bruxism is often unmanaged stress so the best results come from treatment of the symptoms and long term stress management.
2. Abrasion is the type of tooth wear that is a result of friction. People who brush their teeth too vigorously with firm bristled tooth brushes repeatedly in horizontal strokes. The sweeping brushes from too hard of a tooth brush can be changed easily by switching to a soft bristled tooth brush. Additionally, you can adjust your brushing strokes. The signs of abrasion are most often visible on the surfaces of the teeth towards the back of your mouth. If you notice that those teeth in your mouth have V shaped indentations along your gum line, then you may want to talk to the dentist about any other signs of abrasion on your teeth.
3. Erosion is the type of tooth wear that is a result of acid on the enamel. People who are showing signs of erosion on their teeth have the most common type of tooth wear and can prevent more from happening. The two most common sources of acid in your mouth come from your diet and from your stomach or digestive tract. High acid foods and drinks can wear on the protective enamel of your teeth and even penetrate the deeper layer of dentin. Any soft drink, carbonated drink, sports drinks, and even sparkling water can result in erosion. Any citrus like lemon and lime can leave you with a condition that’s referred to as lemon sucker.