Dental Erosion

I recently read a study published in the British Dental Journal, which found a strong link between fizzy drink consumption and dental erosion. Some of the shocking statistics included that the risk of tooth erosion was 59% higher in 12-year olds, and 220% higher in 14-year olds who drank fizzy drinks. However, dental erosion is not a dental condition limited to children as it is also recognised as a major dental problem in adults.

What is dental erosion?

Dental erosion or acid erosion is the loss of tooth enamel as a result of the direct action of acids, which most often come from your diet, e.g. soft drinks and acidic fruit juices. The erosion affects the whole of the tooth surface (the tooth enamel). Tooth enamel is the thin outer covering of your teeth and is the hardest tissue in the human body. Its purpose is to protect your teeth from daily use such as biting, chewing and grinding. Although tooth enamel is a hard protector of teeth, it is not totally resilient and once it is damaged, it is not able to repair itself.

What are the causes of dental erosion?

Every time you eat or drink something acidic, the enamel of your tooth becomes softer and the tooth loses some of its mineral content. Your salvia will slowly balance out the acidity in your mouth and counteract the affect of the acid. However, if you eat or drink something acidic on a regular basis, your mouth has a harder job of being able to balance out the levels of acidity and in time, the surface of your tooth will become lost.

Who is at risk?

Anyone who drinks excessive amounts of acidic drinks, e.g. fruit juices and fizzy drinks is at risk of dental erosion. It is well known that these drinks have a high acid content and excessive consumption is likely to cause erosion. There are also other reasons why someone might have a high acidity level in their mouths. For example, people who suffer from eating disorders such as bulimia often suffer from tooth erosion as regular vomiting causes dental erosion from stomach acids.

How do I reduce the risk of dental erosion?

Common advice from dentists as to how to reduce the risks of dental erosion includes:

• Stick to water and avoid carbonated soft drinks and excessive consumption of fruit juices.

• If you can’t resist the temptation of a fizzy drink then dentists will recommend that fizzy drinks are drank quickly and through a straw.

• Do not brush your teeth straight after eating or drinking something acidic as the tooth enamel will be at its softest.

• Chew sugar free gum after eating. This helps produce more saliva which will assist in balancing out the acid content in your mouth.

How can it be treated?

Dental erosion does not always require invasive treatment from a dentist. However, it is vital that you seek advice and attend regular check-ups with your dentist to monitor the levels of dental erosion in your mouth. If your dentist considers that any of your teeth do require treatment as a result of dental erosion, it is likely that they will recommend fillings at the affected teeth and or in more serious cases more invasive treatment may be required, such as crowns or veneers.

Our experience

It is important that dentists assist patients in maintaining healthy teeth and good oral health and those dentists provide adequate treatment in the event of dental erosion.

The Dental Negligence Team, have settled many cases were dentist have failed to provide adequate treatment or have failed to detect decay. Please see our recent cases section, which detail the types of cases that we have settled for our clients.

If you have suffered from dental problems which were not diagnosed by your dentists, please contact the Dental Negligence Team who will be happy to assist and advise on the prospects of bringing a dental negligence claim.