Dental erosion

Dental erosion, or tooth erosion, is a common problem that can happen at any age. It happens when the enamel surface of your teeth is softened by acids and worn away. These acids can come from your stomach or from food and drinks.

Dental erosion is different to tooth decay, which is caused by bacteria.

Dental erosion can be severe if you have a dry mouth. This is because you don't make enough saliva to wash away and neutralise the acids.

If you have dental erosion your teeth can:

• become discoloured
• become sensitive to heat and cold
• look shorter, due to wearing away
• chip or break more easily
• have sharp edges

Dental erosion usually happens on:

• the tooth surfaces where you bite
• the inside surfaces
• the top edges of your teeth

The inside surfaces are more likely to be affected when the acid comes from your stomach.

Dental erosion happens in 2 steps.

1. Contact with acid starts to weaken and soften the enamel on the outside of your teeth.
2. The softened tooth surfaces are worn away during eating and chewing.

There are both external and internal sources of acid that can cause dental erosion.

External sources

These include acids from your diet and medicines.

Food and drinks that are acidic and can cause dental erosion include:

• fruit juices
• soft drinks — including sugar-free
• sports and energy drinks
• citrus fruits — such as lemons, oranges, grapefruit
• vinegar
• foods with additives — such as citric acid, sodium citrate or phosphoric acid
• alcohol

Taking frequent sips of acidic drinks can increase the time that acid is in contact with your teeth.

Some medicines and health products, such as chewable vitamin C tablets, can cause dental erosion.

Internal sources

Tooth erosion can happen because of:

• too much vomiting, which can be from conditions such as bulimia nervosa
• gastric reflux from gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD)
• reduced saliva production

If you're concerned about your teeth or have signs or symptoms of dental erosion, visit your dental practitioner for a check-up.

Your dental practitioner can help you work out what is causing your dental erosion. Once you know the possible source, try to avoid it.

Your dental practitioner may suggest applying a fluoride varnish or a remineralising treatment to strengthen the remaining enamel.

If gastric reflux or some other medical condition is causing your dental erosion, discuss treatment options with your doctor.

If not treated early, dental erosion can slowly wear away the surface of your tooth. Acid slowly dissolves your tooth enamel, making the dentine underneath visible. Dentine is a yellowish-brown colour.

Untreated dental erosion can also damage your tooth structure. Tooth enamel can't grow back once it's gone. Treatments to repair your tooth structure include:

• veneers
• fillings
• crowns
• root canal treatment
• tooth extraction

Tooth fillings can also become higher if the enamel around them gets worn down by acids.

You can help prevent dental erosion by:

• Limiting your intake of acidic foods and drinks, such as fruit juice and soft drinks.
• Using a straw to drink acid-containing drinks, to limit the acid touching your teeth.
• Rinsing your mouth with water after acid exposure.
• Drinking plain water in place of acid-containing drinks.
• Rinsing your mouth with water or milk after vomiting.
• Chewing sugar-free gum to increase saliva and dilute acid.
• Cutting down on alcohol.
• Having regular dental check-ups.

Always use a soft toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste to brush your teeth.

Wait for at least 30 minutes to brush your teeth after an acidic drink or vomiting. This is because acid causes your tooth enamel to become softer for about 20 to 30 minutes, until your saliva helps wash it away. While you wait, you can rinse your mouth with water or a fluoride mouthwash.

If you have acid reflux, talk to your doctor about how to manage it and reduce this source of acid.

Avoid giving babies sugary drinks including fruit juice. Baby tooth enamel is softer than adult tooth enamel and can be more easily damaged by acids.

You can read more about how to care for your teeth at Teeth.org.au (Opens in new tab).

Read more about dental care and oral health.

You can also call the healthdirect helpline on 1800 022 222 (known as NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria). A registered nurse is available to speak with 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Information for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples

The Mob Smiles has created resources and articles about taking care of your teeth and keeping your mouth healthy for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples.