Dental attrition- A cause for concern

Attrition is the wearing down of teeth due to tooth to tooth contact. It occurs when opposite teeth touch each other for long periods of time and with higher pressures than normal. It can also be caused by clenching (squeezing the teeth together) or bruxing (grinding the teeth together). Our teeth should normally only meet together for a few minutes in every 24hrs, but in such cases this increases significantly, causing teeth to wear. Bruxism may occur during sleep and so many patients are totally unaware.Others notice that they clench when tense or when doing certain activities. The result is that the teeth flatten and appear shorter. They are often painless and as tooth wear progresses very gradually, it is easily overlooked but some patients may experience cold and sensitivity. In mild cases, a night-guard is adequate to prevent further damage. In moderate to severe cases however, a combination of treatments such as fillings, root canal, crowns or even full mouth rehabilitation may be the treatment of choice.