4 Causes of Abnormal Tooth Wear

Even if you practice perfect dental hygiene, your teeth will still start to wear as you age. As you get older, we recommend incorporating additional oral hygiene practices. Talk to your dentist about any changes you need to make to your routine to benefit your specific dental needs!

4 Causes of Abnormal Tooth Wear

There are a few factors that can cause abnormal and premature wear of your tooth enamel:

1. Nail-biting – Chewing on fingernails or other objects, like pens or pencils, can damage tooth enamel. To preserve your enamel and the structural integrity of the tooth, it’s important to break these habits! 

2. Bruxism – Bruxism is the term for grinding or clenching your teeth without realizing, often during sleep. Wearing a nightguard to bed can alleviate the symptoms of bruxism, which include abnormal tooth wear. 

3. Diet high in acid – Exposing your teeth to steady levels of acid can damage the tooth enamel and accelerate tooth wear. To avoid this problem, consume acidic food and beverages sparingly. Gastric reflux can also expose tooth enamel to acid, so make sure you have your reflux problems under control. 

4. Loss of tooth enamel around the gum line – Gum recession can cause premature damage to tooth enamel, known as abfraction. Proper dental hygiene habits and doing all you can to prevent gum disease can lower your risk of gum recession.

If you’re concerned about premature or abnormal tooth wear, please make an appointment at Meadows Family Dentistry. Our Castle Rock, Colorado, general dental office is here to help!