TEETH WEAR

Dt. Sıddıka MERT - Dentist Turkey Antalya
November 28, 2019

Tired of hiding your worn teeth?

First, let's answer the questions why teeth wear and what is tooth wear.

What is tooth wear?

Tooth wear is the loss of dental tissue caused by any factor. As the age progresses, the amount usually increases, so age is important in deciding whether tooth wear is normal or excessive. As a result of the clenching problem, which we call bruxism, wear may occur in the teeth.

Why Teeth Wear?

Considering the classification in dentistry, we divide the wear into three types:

Attrition
Abrasion
Erosion

1. ATTRITION

The form of wear that we call attrition is the result of contact between teeth. These contacts reach maximum strength during swallowing in normal people. The maximum chewing pressure generated by occlusal forces can vary between 20-60 kg in human. Chewing pressure with average values; 20 kg between incisors in the front region, 50 - 60 kg in canine teeth, 30 - 40 kg in small molars, 40 - 50 kg in large molars. Patients with bruxism can reach values over 100kg.

As a result of chewing forces, the contact duration of the teeth with the opposite one shows different values in chewing and swallowing functions. These periods are; In the chewing function; 0.10 - 0.15 sec, in the swallow function, 0.2 - 0.6 sec.

In addition to these physiological times, in case of bruxism, daily contact duration between teeth increase and the amount of wear in the teeth can reach abnormal degrees.

On the opposing tooth surfaces, there may be detrudes formed as protrusions of the opposing tooth, or the tooth surface may lose all of its indented protrusions and may have a flat shiny surface.
Because of the loss of top enamel layer, the teeth appear more yellow.
Sensitivity may be observed in the teeth due to dentine expose.

Attrition is not only seen on the chewing surface of the teeth, but also on the interfaces. This is due to the tendency of the teeth to move towards the midline and friction due to intraoral forces.

2.ABRASION

Abrasion is also the tissue loss due to mechanical forces on the tooth surfaces like attrition.

The difference of abrasion from attrition is that it is classified as the tissue loss caused by different matter instead of contact between teeth.

Factors that cause abrasion are;

the use of toothpicks
biting pencils
eating nails
chewing tobacco
biting hard objects such as pipes
opening hairpins with teeth
opening sunflower husks with anterior teeth

The location of the lesion in abrasion; it depends on whether the person uses his or her right hand during brushing teeth. Wear is seen mostly on the left side in right-handed patients and on the right side in left-handed patients. The lesions were mostly seen on the left side; it can be attributed to the fact that there are more right-handers in society. As abrasion progresses towards dentin, pitting and cratering are observed. These individuals are not satisfied with their tooth color and believe that the more they brush, the whiter their teeth will become. However, on the contrary; the more the patient brushes his teeth, the enamel becomes thinner and closer to the dentin surfaceand teeth get darker.

Abrasion caused by tooth brushing is mostly seen on the exterior surface of the teeth and in the form of horizontal streaks.

3.EROSION

Erosion defines the loss dental tissue due to acids. Acids can reach the mouth through many foods. In addition, acid related erosion can be observed in diseases such as gastritis and reflux that gastric acid reaches the oral cavity.

Acids can be divided to internal and external.

Internal Origin Acids

Gastritis
reflux
anorexia
bulimia
Continuous vomiting habit
Alcoholism
Sjogren's Syndrome

External Origin Acids

Fruits
The majority of prepared foods
Some of the fermented alcoholic beverages
Pickle
Vinegar
Fruit acids
Phosphoric acid in fruit juices
Citric acid, phosphoric acid in carbonated beverages
Continuous contact with pool water for Olympic swimmers
Lozenges of vitamin C
Battery Factory Employees
Exposure to industrial air pollution

It is claimed that erosion is the most common cause of dental tissue loss besides the caries. This may be due to the ease of access to food and the frequent consumption of acidic beverages. As a result of erosion, symptoms such as termal sensitivity, sudden sensitivity with acidic and sweet foods, sensitivity when brushing teeth or in contact with hard objects, pitting on the acid-affected faces of the teeth, and discoloration of tooth to yellow-orange may occur.

WHAT CAN I DO FOR TOOTH WEAR?

Since we understand the types and causes of tooth wear, we can move on to how it should be treated. If all three types of worns are in the initial stages, tooth protectors must be made to prevent progression. By doing this, in mechanical wear, the contact of the teeth gets prevented, and in the case of acid caused wear, the teeth are protected from acid contact. In addition, the nutritional habits should be modified in erosions, and therapy should be considered for the bruxism origined abrasions.

In advanced cases, there are many treatments that can be done to compensate for tissue loss and gain aesthetic appearance in the teeth.

Botox treatment can be preferred for the relaxation of muscles in bruxism. In order to compensate for tissue loss, pressure resistant materials should be preferred for dental proshthesis. Metal ceramic crowns or harder and more durable zirconium oxide materials may be preferred among porcelains. Aesthetic fillings, crowns, zirconia and laminate options may be preferred for acid-related wear.

We are doing our best to provide you the best service with our specialized dentists in our clinic in Antalya / TURKEY . For more information on treatment options, see our Treatments tab (by clicking here).

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