Are you brushing your teeth away?

Did you know that brushing too hard, or using a medium or hard bristle toothbrush could be causing damage to your teeth?

Unfortunately toothbrush abrasion, which is the loss of enamel from overbrushing is a very common problem. Some people don’t even realise the damage they are doing because the condition doesn’t always present with symptoms. If you do have symptoms, the most common one is sensitivity to cold food or drinks.

Another thing to look out for is splaying of the bristles of your toothbrush. Often if your bristles get all splayed very quickly, you may be too heavy handed with your brushing technique, and could also be damaging your teeth.

There are several causes of tooth enamel loss, including:

1. Overbrushing or toothbrush abrasion
2. Abfraction – which is the loss of enamel from clenching or grinding your teeth
3. Erosion – loss of tooth enamel due to acid erosion

If you suspect you might have one of the above, definitely speak with your dentist. In most cases, all of these problems are preventable by changing your oral hygiene habits, treatment to reduce clenching or grinding and dietary advice to reduce acid issues.

If you suspect you have toothbrush abrasion, you will notice you have small edges on the outer surfaces of your teeth, often near the gumlines. You may also notice the area of tooth closer to the gumline appears darker yellow. This is because once the white enamel is gone, the second layer of the tooth (called dentine) becomes visible, and this substances appears more yellow than tooth enamel.

There are several important things to consider when managing toothbrush abrasion:

1. Try to change to using a soft bristle toothbrush, or use an electric toothbrush with a pressure sensor. This will let you know if you are exerting too much pressure when you brush which could exacerbating enamel loss.
2. Don’t brush your teeth for half an hour after eating or drinking, especially if you have had acidic substances such as sour lollies, wine, green tea, citrus juices, kombucha and energy or sports drinks. Acidic substances soften tooth enamel, which will result in further enamel loss.
3. Speak to your dentist if your teeth are sensitive. More often than not, using a sensitive toothpaste can help. If not, the areas of enamel loss can be replaced and sealed up with composite resin material, which greatly helps reduce sensitivity during eating and drinking.

Do you have questions about toothbrush abrasion? Call us on 6143 5655 or book online for a consultation here.

Author: Lydia