Dental abrasion Growing old is a natural, physiological process that all patients experience at some point in their lives.
There is no defined age that marks ‘old age’ because each patient experiences this transition differently.
Most often, patients who have taken care of their health, who have not overindulged too much and who have followed a regular schedule to a certain extent show fewer signs of old age.
Changes in metabolic processes occur throughout the body, but representative of the oral cavity are dental abrasion, dry oral mucosa, lesions due to dentures, bone resorption, gum and periodontal disease.
Of these, dental enamel abrasion is one of the most common, being a condition that gradually sets in from youth but becomes manifest with advancing age.
Dental enamel abrasion
The function of chewing is one of the oldest. In order to perform this act, which is coordinated by muscles, the presence of dental units is necessary.
Throughout life, the child possesses temporary or milk teeth that will gradually be replaced, so that in adulthood the teeth are permanent, permanent. As a result of chewing and contact with hard foods, as the teeth get older, the tooth enamel abrades, decreasing in thickness and height.
Dental abrasion can be age-related or can be accelerated by some vicious habits practiced by most people at certain stages of life:
Nail gnawing – when teeth come in to gnaw nails, the temporomandibular joint performs a movement that is outside the range of physiological movement and over time can deteriorate.
The front teeth also wear down faster because keratin, the basic component of nails, is very hard.
Bruxism – the grinding of teeth during the day, at times of maximum concentration or at night, which can mask aberrant neurological activity, leads to pathological abrasion of both front and side teeth.
Tooth wear occurs rapidly, and in a relatively short time it can lead to such severe thinning of the enamel that the dentine becomes sensitized.
The patient often comes to the dentist’s office when he or she is hypersensitive, especially after consuming liquids or cold food.
Interposition of hard objects – some patients interpose hard objects at the dental arches when concentrating, e.g. pupils or students holding pens against their teeth.
On the other hand, people in certain trades such as carpenters, joiners, tailors, often insert pins, nails or various metal pieces between their teeth to make their work easier.
These two categories of people are prone to develop abnormal patterns of tooth wear, localized to the teeth on which the objects intervene.
Also, interposers may alter the natural contours of the arches.
Opening bags by mouth – is an unhealthy habit that causes abrasion and in particular cases can also fracture incisal edges.
