Causes and risk factors
Brushing hard and grinding of teeth is one of the common causes of erosion of teeth. Enamel is a hard coating on the teeth. On eating acidic things the enamel becomes soft and start losing some of its mineral content. Hence excessive intake of fruits containing acids, acidic drugs or supplements, drinking too much of alcohol or carbonated drinks are some of the common triggering factors. Dry mouth is one of the common conditions that can lead to erosion of teeth. Erosion of teeth can also be caused due to certain gastric conditions like bulimia, gastroesophageal reflux, or hiatus hernia which causes regurgitation of acid in mouth thus damaging the enamel. Eating excessive sweets in addition to poor dental hygiene leads to growth of bacteria which causes development of dental caries. Dental caries thus leads to damage to the enamel.
Clinical presentation:
Appearance of dents on teeth is the warning sign of erosion of teeth. There is appearance of shiny surface on the teeth. Erosion is seen at the surfaces and at the edges. Exposure of underlying dentine causes pain. The pain is especially felt during eating food or drinks of extreme temperatures. Yellow discoloration of teeth is seen.
Investigations:
The clinical examination carried out by the doctor is usually sufficient to confirm the diagnosis.
Treatment:
Bonding a filling on to the teeth is the main line of treatment. In cases where the enamel is severely damaged, use of veneers is recommended. Taking certain precautionary measures is the first thing to be maintained. Use of soft bristle brush is advised. The person should be well hydrated for adequate maintenance of saliva. Brush the teeth twice daily. Fluoride toothpaste is advised. Limit the intake of alcohol, acidic food. Do not hold the acidic drinks for too long in the mouth, swallow them quickly. Chewing sugar free gums will stimulate production of saliva which helps to prevent the erosion of enamel by flushing off acidic content in the mouth.
