What is Dental Attrition?

Dental Attrition is one of the most common dental problems with age. It is a loss of tooth structure or tissue caused by tooth-on-tooth contact. Even though this kind of tooth wear is considered a normal consequence of aging, some people may experience more rapid and advanced Attrition due to specific dental conditions and eating habits. 

Meaning of dental Attrition

Attrition is one of the main types of tooth wear caused by other teeth. It is the term for pressure between the teeth that feels like grinding. This thing occurs when you clench or grind your teeth. 

As a result of Attrition, your front teeth will become shorter, and your back teeth will become flatter. 

Moreover, severe Attrition can even change the way of your facial appearance because of the loss of tooth structure. It can also make your teeth sensitive to sweets and hot or cold temperatures. 

The most common causes of dental Attrition

The common causes of dental Attrition are the following:

• Bruxism – the act of grinding or clenching your teeth during sleep, usually brought on by muscle hoyperdontonicity or tension. It can also lead to other health issues, such as TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint Disorders) and sleep apnea. 
• Bite misalignment – if your teeth are not properly aligned, they may be rubbing against one another. Over a period of time, the surface of one tooth can start to deteriorate the surface and enamel of the other teeth.

Suppose they are not treated in the initial stage. In that case, the enamel of the damaged tooth can start accumulating bacterial deposits and cause cavities, dental sensitivity, and pain.

Other causes

• Diet – when you eat lot of acidic foods and drinks the enamel of your teeth become more softer and susceptible to excessive wear.
• Health conditions – Anorexia, bulimia, gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD), and dry mouth (xerostomia) are all diseases that lead to excessive teeth wear and dental attrition.
• Genetics – people whose enamel is genetically thinner they will get more tooth attrition over a period of time. 

Symptoms

In spite of decaying teeth and increased dental sensitivity the other signs of dental Attrition include:

• Changes in tooth shape and structure
• Loss of tooth structure including thinning or flattening of teeth.
• Dental pain
• Sore gums and teeth
• Discoloration of teeth
• Damaged or weakened dental fillings or other restorations
• In serious cases, tooth loss may occur.

How to treat them and prevent further damage

Depending on the causes, there are various treatment options available to treat tooth attritions.

Treatment for this problem, most commonly involves combination of orthodontic treatments include,

• Teeth straightening appliances like dental braces, clear braces, retainers, etc to fix the misaligned bite.
• Dental restorations like dental crowns to repair damaged teeth.
• Treatment to fix bruxism (wearing a mouth guard).

Here are few tips to prevent them are following:

• Avoid the intake of corbonated drinks and juices with high level of acidity.
• Avoid brushing your teeth immediately after drinking acidic drinks and meals for at least 20 minutes. Because of the acid in these drinks softens your teeth’s enamel, leaving it more vulnerable to harm from brushing.
• Avoid using abrasive toothpaste. Instead of these use fluoride toothpaste which is less abrasive and also helps to prevent dental wear.
• Don’t use your teeth to hold or grip items.
• Wear a protective dental night mouth guard to protect your teeth from grinding or clenching.

Bottom line

When your teeth start to wear down, you will need to restore the lost dental structure and protect the enamel. But first thing, you need to address the issue that initially caused dental wear. Once you determine the causes you can figure out the best treatment to bring your smile back to its optimum health.