www.female-focus.com
Page 12
Female Focus
Dental wear: causes, prevention and treatment - part 1
Dental wear is one of the most common problems we see in the dental clinic. Dental wear is the loss to a greater or lesser degree of the structure of the tooth, and can affect different parts of a tooth.
The most frequent cause of tooth wear is bruxism. Bruxism is the involuntary act of clenching the teeth with disproportionate force, and it usually occurs at night.
The wear caused by bruxism usually occurs at the edges of the front teeth and on the chewing surfaces of the back teeth, although the strong compression forces can also give rise to wear and tear in other areas of the tooth.
The dental wear typically causes a progressive decrease in the overall height of the teeth, resulting in the person having the appearance of having short teeth, and in turn this can lead to a reduction in the height of the bottom of the face.
This loss of height in the lower third of the face can often result in an ‘aged look’ due to the wrinkles that are formed around the lips, as well as a slightly retracted jaw line.
Other causes of dental wear tend to be an excessive intake of acidic drinks or foods as well as the habit of brushing the teeth using a hard toothbrush and using too much force. Wear produced by these causes is usually located in the front surfaces of the teeth, which over time cause them to appear broken and damaged.
The best prevention to avoid tooth wear is to stop the causes. In the case of acidic drinks try to moderate their consumption. In the case of traumatic brushing, avoid using a hard toothbrush, instead switch to one of a medium or soft consistency, and reduce the pressure you use during brushing.
For night-time bruxism it is highly recommended to use a tooth guard which absorbs the chewing forces and avoids the wear of the teeth. The tooth guard gets the wear, not the surface of the teeth. The treatment of the dental wear will depend largely on the type of wear and what areas have been affected, and also on how advanced the dental wear already is.
Clinica Aizcor, Avda del Pla 36, bajo, Javea. Tel 965 790 827.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60