Non-carious tooth lesion.

Once referred to as erosion and corrosion. These refer to the damage that happens to your tooth by a chemical substance or by mechanical damage.
Tooth structure can be damaged by other means than tooth decay and caries.


Causes:
1- Acids:
Internal:
i- Gastro-intestinal reflux
ii- Sleep Aponea
iii- Chronic morning sickness
iv- Bulimia Nervosa
External acids:
i- Acidic food, like citrus fruits and acidic drinks, like juice wine, soft drinks, cordials.
ii- Acidic vitamin c supplements, like Vitamin C
iii- Certain medications, like Asthma Puffers.
iv- Sports drinks, gels, and bars. These have high sugar content and are acidic, if consumed during exercise things can get worse as the sports person tends to clinch on the weakened Enamel. In combination with the dehydrated state the person gets during exercise meaning reduced saliva production.
these acid sources keep your mouth in an acidic state resulting in dissolving the tooth substance.
2- Forcefull tooth brushing. and wrong techniques that rub off the Enamel
3- Bad habits, like biting nails, pins, and pens
4- Clinching teeth, whether subconsciously during sleep or when stressed.
5- Vomiting, like during pregnancy.
The saliva has a limited ability to protect against erosion by:
– forming a protective layer over the teeth, acts like a barrier against the acidic effect.
– Diluting acids in the mouth.
However the ability of saliva is limited and can get overwhelmed by excessive exposure to acids.
Symptoms of tooth erosion:
– Sensitivity to hot, cold or sweet.
– Rough edges on your teeth from chipping and cracking.
– Noticing that teeth are getting “yellow”.
– Change in lustre of the surface of teeth.
– Dents (also known as cupping) may appear, particularly in areas where biting and chewing occur.

Prevention

– sip your soft drink by a straw instead of gulping it and squishing it in your mouth.
– use soft – medium tooth brush and brush gentle.
– don’t place any foreign objects in your mouth.
– by mindful of any clinching.
– drinks lots of water. Especially during exercise.
– use Xylitol gum after meals, and soft drinks.


If you notice any or all of these symptoms, contact us to help you protect your teeth and preventing further tooth enamel erosion. If not dealt with it can lead to sever tooth loss exposing the nerve and requiring extensive and expensive intervention.

Conclusion:

Teeth can be damaged by other means than decay, so while you think you have no decay, it is worthwhile checkin for any other signs of damage.