Wear

Wear and tear of your teeth

Tooth wear happens when you lose your tooth tissue because of other reasons than tooth damage. It happens to everyone and can be seen in everyone over time. However, sometimes the wear occurs faster than normal. The teeth and molars then become shorter and shorter.

The shortening of teeth and/or molars can have negative consequences for all of your teeth. This makes the teeth bad to look at and is not good for the function of the teeth. Also the teeth become more sensitive to pain beause there is not enough protective enamel. When the wear gets more serious, the reason for toothache can even be  inflammation / death of the nerve in the cavity of the tooth.

There are several reasons for the wear and tear of your teeth. The most important ones are teeth grinding, dental erosion (acid attacks the tooth tissue) and frequent chewing on hard objects.

With limited tissue loss, your dentist helps to prevent further wear and tear. He/she provides information on all possible factors and the individual risk for the future, advice on preventing dental erosion and poor brushing habits. The tissue that is already lost can be made up with restorative material and a protective plate can be made.

You can reduce your tooth wear yourself by really following the tips below.

• Do not brush your teeth too hard and use a soft toothbrush.
• Use a non-aggresive toothpaste to brush your teeth.
• Limit the use of acidic foods and drinks to reduce dental erosion.
• After eating acidic products, drink water or milk to neutralize the acid.
• After eating, wait at least an hour before brushing your teeth.
• Try to get rid of the habits that lead to wear and tear, such as chewing on hard objects and grinding your teeth.