Enamel erosion

Yes, yet another thing wrong with my teeth. I've had erosion of the enamel on my front teeth since I was 18 or so, and it's just gotten worse and worse. No explanation for it really. I'm not perfect, as I need to live my life, but I drink very few soft drinks such as Coke, very few pure orange/apple juices. I do drink a good bit of white wine but I didn't until a year or two ago, so that's not the principal cause. I just don't understand how my teeth are so bad. My new dentist asked if I was bulimic or have acid reflux - I've never had a problem with either. I've actually only vomited about 12 times in my life (I remember all the occasions cos it barely ever happens). He said it was probably due to adolescent consumption of soft drinks but again, I barely ever drank them. Way, way, way less than the average teenager. We never had them at home and I might have had a can of Coke a week, max. We did have a lot of pure juice but again I was hardly guzzling it down, I'd have one glass with a meal, and I never brushed my teeth straight afterwards. Nobody else in my family has this problem, so why do I?

I'm sick of being lectured about drinking fizzy drinks and not brushing my teeth right after acidic drinks. I know all that, and I've been making a conscious effort to follow all the advice, and it's still bad. It's got to the stage now where I go out to the pub and I can't drink anything! No mixers with Coke, no mixers with orange juice, no cider, no white wine! Yet all my friends drink these things all the time and not one of them has bad enamel erosion. Is it even making any difference to avoid all this stuff? What can I do? I already brush 2 x a day, thoroughly, I don't brush right after acidic drinks, I use Pronamel toothpaste, what else can I do? I don't know if it's to do with the erosion but my teeth have got quite yellow in the last 2 years as well, I don't smoke or anything Help!

sudzs

I'm no dental expert, sorry, but could it be nutritional? What's your diet like?

sudzs

sudzs wrote: »

I'm no dental expert, sorry, but could it be nutritional? What's your diet like?

My diet is good, I'd say. I eat a lot of different things, pasta bolognese, Mexican food, Japanese food. Don't eat much junk bar the odd McDonalds when I'm drunk. I do snack quite a bit, on Doritos and other savoury things. Haven't much of a sweet tooth but I do eat a fair bit of chocolate. I did drink quite a lot of white wine with dinners before it clicked about the teeth, but again, I barely drank it at all when I started having problems. I do have digestive issues but not acid reflux so I don't see how they could affect my teeth.

btkm8unsl0w5r4

Do you suffer from any stomach problems, heartburn. Do you drink much alochol.?

Sylvie Tasteless Platypus

Sylvie Tasteless Platypus wrote: »

Do you suffer from any stomach problems, heartburn. Do you drink much alochol.?

Suffer from IBS but not heartburn and I don't vomit because of it. Alcohol - it depends, in an average week I'd have a few pints and a few glasses of wine but a lot more on holidays. I generally drink beer.

ballsymchugh

izzy, going by your two threads...
did your new dentist say much about it? or was it mainly your old dentist that brought it up??
old dentist mentions erosion but not gum disease..
new one mentions gum disease but not erosion..

No both dentists mentioned the erosion. It's very obvious, you can tell just looking at me that bits of my front teeth are broken off. I guess the new dentist might have thought I didn't know about it but I've been aware of it since about 2003. Both dentists told me it could be worse as I still have enamel, but that doesn't make me feel any better. With my good diet, my good brushing and the fact I drink very few fizzy drinks, I'd expect my teeth to be in great condition, as they were before I was 18 or so. It's starting to affect my life now as I can barely find a drink I can drink without feeling guilty.

Big_G

Sounds like it could be attrition and not erosion...

btkm8unsl0w5r4

Rex Jealous Fiddle the most important thing is to find the cause of the tooth surface loss. Could be acid errosion either from foods and drinks or your stomach or could be grinding. The pattern of the wear is a dead give away so best to get your dentist to look at it. Stop the cause and then treat the damage if necessary.

Good luck

Big_G

Big_G wrote: »

Sounds like it could be attrition and not erosion...

What's attrition?

Sylvie Tasteless Platypus

Sylvie Tasteless Platypus wrote: »

Rex Jealous Fiddle the most important thing is to find the cause of the tooth surface loss. Could be acid errosion either from foods and drinks or your stomach or could be grinding. The pattern of the wear is a dead give away so best to get your dentist to look at it. Stop the cause and then treat the damage if necessary.

Good luck

I've looked up attrition and it doesn't seem to be what I have.

Both the dentists I've seen seem sure it's acid erosion. Apparently the backs of my upper front teeth are the worst affected, so that's what led my new dentist so ask if I was bulimic. The teeth feel tacky to the touch rather than smooth, and some little pieces have broken off the front teeth. When I asked why I would be affected when others have a way worse diet/sugar consumption, they pretty much said it was bad luck. I will ask for more details next time I'm in!

Big_G

When we look at erosion there are two sources of damage - extrinsic and intrinsic.

Extrinsic acid comes from outside the body and has a very particular pattern usually.

Intrinsic acid comes from the stomach and usually has a distinct pattern also, including damage to the palatal surfaces of upper teeth.

Attrition is wear to the teeth caused by repeated, prolonged and unnatural contact with opposing teeth.

What you describe sounds like intrinsic acid erosion, usually meaning bulimia or GERD (gastro-esophageal reflux disease). This usually requires confirmation of diagnosis from a gp or gastro-enterologist.

Big_G

Big_G wrote: »

When we look at erosion there are two sources of damage - extrinsic and intrinsic.

Extrinsic acid comes from outside the body and has a very particular pattern usually.

Intrinsic acid comes from the stomach and usually has a distinct pattern also, including damage to the palatal surfaces of upper teeth.

Attrition is wear to the teeth caused by repeated, prolonged and unnatural contact with opposing teeth.

What you describe sounds like intrinsic acid erosion, usually meaning bulimia or GERD (gastro-esophageal reflux disease). This usually requires confirmation of diagnosis from a gp or gastro-enterologist.

Maybe I'm being thick here but I've never had bulimia or any other kind of problems which involve vomiting, and my dentist said I'd know about it if I had GERD. I never even get heartburn. Is there any way I could have some sort of stomach issue without knowing? I know I have IBS but can't think of any way it involves my mouth/teeth.

I was a bit surprised when my new dentist asked about bulimia, as my old dentist said he sees a lot of bulimics with eroded teeth but never suggested that my problem came from that. He seemed sure it was from fizzy drinks, as did new dentist once I said I wasn't bulimic. I will ask again, as I found it weird that he'd ask that if it is indeed so clear what the cause is. I assumed it could be a number of things. He ended up telling me to use straws to drink and not to brush after drinking acidic stuff, and every other thing I've known for the last 6 years.

When I looked up attrition, I did wonder if I grind my teeth, as I have anxiety. Would this cause the majority of the erosion to be on the front teeth though?

I'm just a bit anxious about this, as last time the dentist was all 'at least you still have enamel' and tbh that's not good enough for me! I've always looked after my teeth and followed the advice, so I expect more than to feel lucky I still have my fecking enamel. My brother brushes his teeth about twice a week (yeah, ugh) and he's fine! I never have cavities or anything, never get fillings, I brush my teeth EVERY morning and night, regardless of if I've stayed out all night and woken up in a field. I don't think I'm particularly vain but having these little chips on my teeth is starting to bother me, especially as I do a little bit of modelling work and the last photographer commented on it I've some shots here from 2003 where my teeth look perfect and white and now they're really quite yellow and chipped looking. Sounds silly but my teeth were always something I was complimented on by everyone including the dentist, I don't know what's gone wrong! One interesting thing is I grew up in England, where they had fluoride in the water and then moved to a non fluoride area (N.I) when I was 12, perhaps that made some difference.

Big_G

Fizzy drinks is extrinsic erosion, a pattern of wear usually characterised by saucer or dish shaped lesions of the lower posterior teeth, not the upper palatals. However, there are exceptions.

ovalu

[quote=[Deleted User];63044476] With my good diet, my good brushing [/quote]

just getting back to your other topic, if you're 24 and you are good at brushing, it is very, very unlikely that you really have significant gum disease. I think your new Dentist might be exagerating, as I said practicly every adult has a degree of gum disease. Also GORD/GERD can often be subclinical ( its possible to have acid reflux and not be aware of it)

Big_G

Big_G wrote: »

Fizzy drinks is extrinsic erosion, a pattern of wear usually characterised by saucer or dish shaped lesions of the lower posterior teeth, not the upper palatals. However, there are exceptions.

Oh OK, interesting. My old dentist told me it's typical to have it on the front teeth, as that's where the drinks hit, especially when drinking from a bottle. Made sense to me.

ovalu

ovalu wrote: »

just getting back to your other topic, if you're 24 and you are good at brushing, it is very, very unlikely that you really have significant gum disease. I think your new Dentist might be exagerating, as I said practicly every adult has a degree of gum disease. Also GORD/GERD can often be subclinical ( its possible to have acid reflux and not be aware of it)

I think he might be. Although I did have to stop brushing for over a week and a half due to a case of dry socket (couldn't open my mouth) so I'm sure that didn't help matters, especially since all I could eat was ice cream or milkshake. I've only just been able to start brushing properly around the extraction sites now, over 6 weeks on. Since I've started that, all the bleeding has stopped which I take as a good sign.

Re the acid reflux, would your average GP know a good bit about that? I did ask last time I was there and was pretty much told I'd know about it if I had it. Is it possible to have no symptoms at all?

btkm8unsl0w5r4

Acid errosion is not just bulimia and overt vomiting, a lot of people have some acid come into their mouth at night due to stomach infections or problems and they dont have any idea its happening. I test called a 24hour pH test can show it you. Again ask your dentist to referr you for a test if its indicated

Sylvie Tasteless Platypus

Sylvie Tasteless Platypus wrote: »

Acid errosion is not just bulimia and overt vomiting, a lot of people have some acid come into their mouth at night due to stomach infections or problems and they dont have any idea its happening. I test called a 24hour pH test can show it you. Again ask your dentist to referr you for a test if its indicated

And it's possible to have this long term and not notice? I woke up last night and thought I had a sour taste in my mouth but that was after reading the posts here!

btkm8unsl0w5r4

It is possible, its not a uncommon problem espically in younger people. GORD (GERD) or refulx disease has a wide spectrum from the very definate to the very mild. Dont worry, if the errosion is mild you wont need much or any treatment to your teeth, the most important thing if to find the casue and stop the process now.

Sylvie Tasteless Platypus

Sylvie Tasteless Platypus wrote: »

It is possible, its not a uncommon problem espically in younger people. GORD (GERD) or refulx disease has a wide spectrum from the very definate to the very mild. Dont worry, if the errosion is mild you wont need much or any treatment to your teeth, the most important thing if to find the casue and stop the process now.

It's been going on for good while though Neither dentist suggested referring me or that I even see a doctor so I'll have to take matters into my own hands.