Dentistry has been so successful over the last few decades at educating and convincing the public about the value of their teeth that we are now commonly observing "tooth brush abrasion". Patients are now brushing on a regular basis and many as often as three or four times a day.
Actually, if you use a proper brushing technique, you only need to brush twice a day. There is nothing wrong with more as long as the brushing is done properly, and with soft nylon bristles. Make sure to read the label when buying a brush in order to avoid accidentally buying a hard or medium bristle brush. Use an ADA seal approved toothpaste, which is low in abrasion. Some toothpaste are very abrasive, as in smokers' toothpastes (Topal, Pearl Drops, etc.).
Furthermore, if you are in the habit of rushing and brushing with a sawing stroke from front to back you will end up with grooves in your teeth near the gum line. These grooves are referred to as tooth brush abrasion. They are clean, smooth and often darker in color since you have removed the enamel and are now looking at yellow dentin or cementum below.
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Furthermore, if you are in
the habit of rushing and
brushing with a sawing stroke
from front to back you
will end up with grooves in
your teeth near the gum line.
These grooves are referred
to as tooth brush abrasion.
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Occasionally, no grooves can be felt or seen, but simply blowing cold air will illicit a pain response. Furthermore, contact with cold drinks or sweets will also cause pain. This occurs because you have exposed small nerve endings, that under normal circumstances, should be covered by enamel. Your dentist can desensitize these sensitive tooth brush abrasions.
Toothbrush abrasion can get so advanced in the elderly that you can actually get a groove going half way through a tooth, comparable to a beaver cutting a tree. Surprisingly, many feel no pain whatsoever since the nerves have desensitized themselves naturally. The unfortunate fact is that this enamel has been lost forever. Sometimes the actual nerve (pulp) is encroached upon, or the tooth may become so weaken it may actually snap off at the point of the abrasion. However, with new bonding materials, your dentist can fill these deficient areas.
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Learning to brush and floss
properly is best accomplished
at the dental office with your
dentist or hygienist showing
you what technique would
work best for your
individual situation.
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Please remember that simply brushing properly with a soft nylon bristle toothbrush, using a low abrasive ADA approved toothpaste will help avoid or minimize this inconvenience.
Learning to brush and floss properly is best accomplished at the dental office with your dentist or hygienist showing you what technique would work best for your individual situation. They can help you decide on tooth brush size, bristle softness, type of floss and whether you would benefit from an electric toothbrush.
Recent advances in design has made the electric brush more popular than ever, since they make brushing easy, fun, and effective, leaving your teeth feeling like you just had a professional cleaning at the dentist.
Proper oral hygiene will not only prevent tooth brush abrasion, but will eliminate tooth decay and gum disease.
It's that simple!
