What is Tooth Wear?

It is normal for teeth to wear a little bit over time. However, anything more than a small amount of wear can cause problems to the aesthetics of your teeth and also your ability to bite and chew. As people maintain their teeth for longer, and we all lead increasingly stressful lives, patients are experiencing increasing amounts of tooth wear.

Yet tooth wear is notoriously difficult to stop and just as difficult to treat. It often involves a high level of training that not all dentists have received. If your teeth wear down close to gum level, they can reach a point at which they cannot be repaired.

Request an appointment

Our results

Have a look at some of the smiles our experienced dentists have changed already.

http://Toothwear%20Before
Before treatment
http://Toothwear%20After
After treatment

Here our dentist Dr. Andrew Paterson used white filling material to replace worn away tooth material from the upper and lower front teeth.

Tooth wear has three main causes

  1. Attrition is wear of teeth from tooth to tooth contact during chewing and grinding. Some people grind their teeth during the day, while others grind at night. It can be very difficult to stop you grinding, however our treatment aims to replace the tooth structure you have ground away and protect your remaining teeth from further wear.
  2. Erosion is wear of teeth from acid. Sometimes the source of this acid can be fizzy drinks or wine. Sometimes it can be citrus fruit or pickled vegetables. Sometimes it can be a medical condition such as gastro-esophageal reflux or bulimia. The priority in treatment is to eradicate the source of the acid. Once this has been achieved we can replace eroded tooth structure and protect the remaining teeth from erosion.
  3. Abrasion is wear of teeth from overbrushing. While brushing your teeth is important, it is possible to scrub them too hard. Treatment involves helping you to control your brushing pressure.

Appointments

  1. Book a new patient preventative dental health check.
  2. Let us assess the condition of your teeth.
  3. Let us help you to protect your teeth from tooth wear.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is tooth wear?

    Tooth wear is the destruction of the structure of your teeth through brushing, grinding, or acid in your mouth.

  • What is attrition?

    Attrition is wear of teeth from tooth to tooth contact during chewing and grinding. Some people grind their teeth during the day, while others grind at night.

  • How is attrition treated?

    It can be very difficult to stop you grinding, however our treatment aims to replace the tooth structure you have ground away and protect your remaining teeth from further wear.

  • What is erosion?

    Erosion is wear of teeth from acid. Sometimes the source of this acid can be fizzy drinks or wine. Sometimes it can be citrus fruit or pickled vegetables. Sometimes it can be a medical condition such as gastro-esophageal reflux or bulimia.

  • How is erosion treated?

    The priority in treatment is to eradicate the source of the acid. Once this has been achieved we can replace eroded tooth structure and protect the remaining teeth from erosion.

  • What is abrasion?

    Abrasion is wear of teeth from overbrushing. While brushing your teeth is important, it is possible to scrub them too hard.

  • How is abrasion treated?

    Treatment involves helping you to control your brushing pressure and replacing any lost tooth structure.

Visit Us

Welcoming new patients

We would love to invite you to our practice for aesthetic treatments, advanced treatments, or the highest quality routine family dentistry.

27 Western Terrace,
Falmouth, TR11 4QL

Get Directions