Dental wear is a situation that affects us all to a greater or lesser extent. In this regard, it should be noted that it is common to observe people with small fractures in the enamel, especially in the front teeth.
What is tooth wear?
We define it as the loss of tooth enamel, i.e. the tissue that protects the teeth from all types of external agents. Dental wear not only causes problems on an aesthetic level, but is also responsible for a series of unpleasant symptoms for the patient, such as, for example:
- Dental sensitivity
- Headache
- Arthrosis of the temporomandibular joint.
As you will realise, it is not only a question of aesthetics, tooth wear can trigger other types of problems in your general health.
Types of tooth wear
On the other hand, when we talk about dental wear, it should be noted that it can be of different types:
- Erosion
- Abrasive
- Frictional
The characteristics of each of these situations are described below.
Dental erosion wear
We will begin by talking about erosion as one of the most common and common varieties of dental wear. Erosion appears over the years and is not usually a particularly serious situation, although there are severe cases that require the attention of a specialist.
Erosion is caused by the teeth rubbing together when chewing, talking, etc. In the case of bruxism, it is possible that we are facing a situation of severe erosion and requires personalised treatment.
Abrasive tooth wear
We continue talking about dental wear and it is time to talk about another of the most common types such as abrasion, in this case it should be noted that it is produced by different substances present in different medicines, foods, etc.
The main peculiarity of abrasion is that it will not only affect the tooth, but will also cause damage to the gums causing everything from tooth sensitivity to an increased chance of tooth decay.
If you suffer from dental wear due to abrasion, it is advisable to visit a specialist dentist who will offer you a treatment adapted to your needs.
Frictional tooth wear
Finally, we end this list by talking about friction, a variety of tooth wear that is directly related to the use of excessive force during toothbrushing.
How to prevent tooth wear
First of all, it is impossible to completely prevent dental wear. As with any organ of the human body, the passage of time makes it possible for our teeth to wear down, but there are a series of behaviours that will be very useful in protecting our teeth.
Keeping an eye on your diet or maintaining an optimal dental hygiene routine are some of the most recommendable alternatives when it comes to preventing dental wear. We should also mention the importance of visiting our dentist regularly to check the state of our mouth.
In the event that dental wear is caused by bruxism, it is very important to use an unloading splint to protect our teeth, especially if we take into account that we are dealing with a pathology that can cause the loss of a tooth.
Treatments for tooth wear
What solutions do we have in the case of dental wear? Nowadays we have the main advantage that any situation can be treated in a personalised way and in accordance with our needs.
The aim of this type of treatment is not only to restore the aesthetics of the tooth, but also to restore the functionality of the tooth. One of the most characteristic examples that could be applied to a tooth affected by wear is the insertion of veneers, also known as caps. Undoubtedly, this is one of the most demanded aesthetic interventions nowadays and offers a spectacular and very natural aesthetic result.
In conclusion, we can say that tooth wear is a very common situation and is produced by a wide variety of causes, with the passage of time being one of the most common. Fortunately, we have different resources, techniques and treatments that will help us to reduce the impact of tooth wear and we will be able to recover our smile in a relatively simple way.
Agenta tu primera cita con el dentista en Mexicali, México.
This post is purely informational and does not replace a consultation with the dentist in any way. Contact the smile agents team to schedule an appointment with one of the dentists at Smilers Dental Clinic.
