Are Your Teeth Wearing Out?

Have you noticed that your teeth are not quite the same shape as they used to be?  In a recent article in The American Journal of Dentistry, Professor Adrian Lussi examines what many dental professionals such as New Britain Dentist Dr. Basil , with offices in West Hartford, has seen with greater and greater frequency: tooth erosion is on the rise.

As lifestyles have changed through the decades, the total amount and frequency of consumption of acidic foods and drinks have also changed. Soft drink consumption in the USA increased by 300% in 20 years,1 and serving sizes increased from 185 g (6.6 oz) in the 1950s to 340 g (12 oz) in the 1960s and 570 to g (20 oz) in the late 1990s. Between 56% and 85% of children at school in the USA (circa 1995), consumed at least one soft drink daily, with the highest amounts ingested by adolescent males. Of this group, 20% consumed four or more servings daily.2 Particularly, studies in children and adults have shown that patients with more than four dietary acid intakes per day is associated with the presence and the progression of erosion when other risk factors (such as holding the drink in the mouth) are present. 

Through the efforts of some health agencies and elected officials, soda consumption of the pure sugar-water variety is a bit down over the last five years, but replacing it is the equally or even more dangerous increase of energy drinks and sports drinks, and even juices which damage enamel through high concentrations of acids, in addition to sugars.

As a result, dealing with erosive tooth wear is becoming increasingly significant in the management of the long-term health of your teeth.

You Can Slow the Process of Teeth Erosion

Whether your teeth are being eroded by your lifestyle choices, bruxism (grinding your teeth), malocclusion (misaligned teeth), sleep apnea, or acid reflux, it is important to take early action.  If you’ve noticed any changes, it’s important to:

Tell your dentist. Dr. Elzbieta Basil can check your teeth for signs of erosion. Teeth that are flattened, chipped, fractured, loose, or worn or the enamel layer may have become very thin. There are treatments she can perform for each of these conditions.

Make wise lifestyle choices. Any type of carbonated beverage and juice should be avoided.  The best drinks are water, tea and low-fat milk.  Also limit your intake of acidy foods, and do not leave acidy things in your mouth for a long period of time.

Don’t put off speaking with Dr. Basil. Otherwise, the problem could lead to tooth loss. And, if damage resulting from tooth wear is diagnosed and addressed in its early stages, you might be able to avoid dental treatment to correct the damage that will eventually be done. 

Fix or Save What you Have

Tooth erosion doesn’t have to ruin your smile. Along with lifestyle changes, see Dr. Basil in her West Hartford dental office and her New Britain dental office.  She has has numerous general dentistry and  cosmetic dentistry techniques that can improve your smile if you already have damage.  These include:

• Dental Sealants can provide extra protection for your enamel.
• Flouride Varnish can give a high tech fluoride boost to your teeth, making them stronger.
• Dental bonding is a simple process in which your dentist prepares the surface of your teeth with a liquid or gel before applying a bonding material shaped to look like your natural teeth.
• Dental crowns are more involved, but can look just like your natural teeth. Dr. Basil may file the damaged tooth to prepare it before covering it with a metal or porcelain crown.
• Dental veneers are a quick cosmetic fix for chipped, stained, or misaligned teeth using a thin ceramic shell over the front of each tooth

Whatever process you choose to protect and repair your smile, don’t put off speaking with cosmetic and family dentist Dr. Elzbieta Basil if you have dental concerns. It is important that diagnosis of the tooth wear process in children and adults is made early and adequate preventive measures are undertaken. Early intervention can only be initiated when the risk factors as well as the biological and behavioral modifying factors are taken into account.  West Hartford Dentist Dr. Elzbieta Basil can help.