Dental Erosion: 7 Tips for Your Teeth

You probably take steps to prevent cavities by brushing and flossing your teeth. Even so, you're still at risk for dental erosion.

This growing and underappreciated problem of dental erosion now affects as many as one in five Americans, according to a series of articles in the Journal of the California Dental Association.

Dental erosion is the acidic dissolution of teeth--starting with the softening (demineralization) of the enamel and underlying dentin and subsequent structural tooth loss. It's caused by acids in food and beverages as well as by regurgitated stomach acid resulting from reflux disease (in contrast, cavities are caused by acid-producing bacteria on the teeth, which feed on sugars). Overbrushing, abrasive toothpaste, tooth grinding, and other excessive mechanical wear and tear can dramatically worsen the damage caused by dental erosion.This growing and underappreciated problem of dental erosion now affects as many as one in five Americans, according to a series of articles