If you care for your teeth, the results of this are a strong, white smile that can last almost a lifetime. Caring for your teeth with strong oral hygiene requires daily care. If your oral health does not get the necessary care it needs, you will begin to suffer with tooth wear. The most common type of tooth wear is tooth abrasion.
What Is Tooth Abrasion?
Tooth abrasion is the process of enamel loss owing to foreign objects or conditions. This means that your teeth are being worn down due to excessive force. This is different to erosion, which involve dissolving the enamel. If a tooth comes into contact with something hard, such as chewing on solids, abrasion will occur. This gets even worse if suffer with tooth misalignment.
What Are The Causes And Signs Of Tooth Abrasion?
The causes of tooth abrasion stem from your oral routine and how well you care for your teeth and gums. The signs of tooth abrasion are as follows:
- Using excessive force against your teeth and gums when brushing your teeth
- Brushing your teeth with abrasive toothpaste
- Biting down on hard or solid objects
- Chewing on your fingernails and pencils
- Grinding your teeth together
The signs of tooth abrasion are notches on your teeth near the gum line. This means that the inner layer of a tooth become more visible when the enamel has worn down. The layers may look darker and you’ll also experience toothe sensitivity when eating hot and cold foods.
Worn down enamel is bad news for your teeth. Without it, your teeth become vulnerable to harmful bacteria and dental plaque. This can cause severe infections and further tooth decay.
Can Tooth Abrasion Be Prevented?
When your enamel weakens, it cannot be repaired. This can cause irreversible damage to your teeth and gums. Therefore, if you’re aware of tooth abrasion, there are certain oral hygiene steps that you can take almost immediately to start applying some protection to your enamel.
- Use A Soft-Bristle Toothbrush – Using a soft-bristle toothbrush is the first thing you need to do. Applying the right brushing technique that involves stroking the toothbrush in a circular motion gently on the front surfaces. Brush the biting surfaces gently as well. The more force you apply, the faster the bristles on your toothbrush become damaged, meaning instead of accumulating bacteria, the bacteria will spread to your teeth.
- Avoid Abrasive Toothpaste – Consider brushing your teeth with fluoride toothpaste instead because fluoride can help strengthen your enamel and protect your teeth from tooth decay.
- Avoid Bad Habits – If you’re using your teeth to bite down on hard objects or to open things, you must stop doing this. Only use your teeth to bite down on food and for general mouth functioning.
- Avoid Acids And Sugars – Avoid food and drink that contains high volumes of sugar and acids. These are the key culprits of enamel and decay. Start drinking more water and vegetables that help protect your enamel.
If you’re showing signs of tooth abrasion, contact us at Wahroonga Dental Group today and we’d be happy to help! Click here to contact us now.