There are many different dental conditions, but very few of them are as serious and prevalent as erosive tooth wear. This is quite a big issue in modern day that needs to be tackled head on, probably before any other dental issues.
But why is erosive tooth wear such a big issue? Well the first serious cause is our modern culture which is heavily relying on snacks. And when you combine that with an aging population that retains teeth for longer, the risk of erosive wear is quite high.
Erosive tooth wear isn’t something your dentist usually checks your teeth for. However, if you identify the problem early on, seek counsel with a professional you can easily prevent the problem from further developing.
What if erosive tooth wear is left untreated?
Snacks aren’t the only thing increasing our risk for erosive tooth wear. It has been found that the increase in fresh fruit and fruit juice consumption have also caused erosive tooth wear. Especially I we combine the two (snacks and juices) outside of our mealtimes.
Did you know that odds ratios actually increase 12-fold when you consume acidic drinks e.g. orange juice or lemonade outside your mealtime?
This is the third most common dental problem and it affects around 30% of the population. And even though it doesn’t require a drill to fix it, it is still neglected. We need to make sure that checking for erosive tooth wear is standard during every dental exam. And if we detect it on time, we can discuss it with the patient on how to minimize further deterioration.
Simple advice, like cutting back on acidic drinks per day is a good place to start.
How can you prevent erosive tooth wear with self-care?
There are a lot of tips and advice online on how you can determine whether you have erosive tooth wear or you can ask your dentist. With the help of these tools, you could also learn what kind of self-care measures can you use.
These online tools and tips are especially valuable now since there are number of patients still reluctant in visiting their dentist for a regular checkup because of Covid-19. So prevention is really important.
If you speak to your dentist about erosive wear he/she should provide you useful tips on oral hygiene, what type of diet would be best for you and so on.
If you want to schedule a regular follow-up or to get more advice on how to protect your teeth from erosive tooth wear, contact us today and schedule an appointment.
