What wears down teeth?

Tooth wear is the term used to describe the progressive loss of a tooth’s surface due to actions other than those which cause tooth decay or dental trauma. Tooth wear increases with age and this is a normal physiological process occurring throughout life, but accelerated tooth wear can become a problem.
Tooth wear is majorly the result of three processes; attrition, abrasion and erosion.

• Attrition or bruxism is the progressive loss of hard tooth substances caused by gritting or grinding between opposing teeth. The stress and tension of the body will be an extent of attrition and it depends upon the force used on the teeth. Attrition is a slow-progressing condition that may require the wearing of a night guard during sleep.
• There are two types of abrasion:
  1. Toothbrus:. – It is caused by the use of a hard toothbrush, too much pressure when brushing teeth or a horizontal brushing stroke and/or a gritty dentifrice.
  2. Occlusal abrasion (chewing surfaces or teeth edges): -It results from the chewing or biting of hard foods or objects and chewing tobacco.
• Erosion: It can result from drinking acidic liquids or eating acidic foods. It is common in bulimic individuals as a result of regurgitated stomach acids.