Nowadays, worn teeth are becoming more and more common, especially among older people. However, once the cause is identified, the condition can be prevented and treated.
Tooth wear has many causes, usually due to the natural aging process. As it wears out, the teeth become smaller and darker in color. Tooth wear affects many factors such as aesthetics and bites and contributes to temporomandibular joint (TMD) disorders, which can lead to symptoms of headaches, earaches, neck pain, or back pain.
4 MAIN TYPES OF TOOTH WEAR
1. Attrition: the loss of dental tissue or prosthetics as a result of chewing or contact between rival teeth. This is often a consequence of teeth grinding and the aging process of teeth
2. Erosion: is the loss of tooth tissue due to chemical processes not related to bacterial activity but related to diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, gastroesophageal reflux, in people who work in contact with chemicals, fertilizers, eat and drink a lot of sour foods, water with gas…
3. Abrasion: is the phenomenon of physical tooth wear caused by other agents not due to contact between teeth, common in people with bad habits such as biting toothpicks, biting pens or biting other objects.
4. Abfraction: wear of teeth at the neck site due to bending forces during functional and subfunctional activities. This is a consequence of disorders of the bite system
SYMPTOMS OF TOOTH WEAR
Teeth become sensitive: or get sick when eating too hot food (hot pot, hot water …) or too cold (ice cream, ice …), sweets (candy cake …). More severe may be toothache, discomfort, tinnitus, pain radiating to the top of the head …
- Around the teeth or in the walls and edges of the teeth there are cracks or abnormal chipping.
- The surface of the teeth is no longer shiny, flat, smooth.
- Tooth enamel becomes yellow and thins. Easy tooth decay
TREATMENT METHODS
Treatment of tooth wear depends on the cause of the wear, the severity of the lesion, the spread of the lesion, the age and cooperation of the person, and the susceptibility of the tooth. Some common methods are:
- Neutralize the effects of acids and increase the resistance of teeth to acid attack by using alkaline or neutral mouthwashes. In addition, drinking milk or chewing sugar-free gum after each meal is beneficial to avoid tooth wear.
- Apply fluoride varnish topically to reduce tooth sensitivity and facilitate enamel remineralization.
- Wear a chewing chute at times when there is a high risk of gastric reflux to reduce tooth damage. Can be added to the chewing chute alkalizing agents, neutralizing acids such as magnesium hydroxide or sodium bicarbonate, fluoride gel …
- Treatment to restore the functional shape of teeth such as: composite paste, plastic paste, metal or porcelain …
- Treatment of teeth with periodontal disease, pulpitis, crown lengthening restoration, or orthodontics due to excessive wear. Regular visits
