Abrasion is the loss of tooth

Tooth

Teeth are small, calcified, whitish structures found in the jaws of many vertebrates that are used to break down food. Some animals, particularly carnivores, also use teeth for hunting or for defensive purposes. The roots of teeth are embedded in the Mandible bone or the Maxillary bone and are...

 structure by mechanical forces from a foreign element. If this force begins at the cementoenamel junction

Cementoenamel junction

The cementoenamel junction, frequently abbreviated as the CEJ, is an anatomical border identified on a tooth. It is the location where the enamel, which covers the anatomical crown of a tooth, and the cementum, which covers the anatomical root of a tooth, meet...

, then progression of tooth loss

Tooth loss

Tooth loss is when one or more teeth come loose and fall out. Tooth loss is normal for deciduous teeth , when they are replaced by a person's adult teeth. Otherwise, losing teeth is undesirable and is the result of injury or disease, such as mouth trauma, tooth injury, tooth decay, and gum disease...

 can be rapid since enamel

Tooth enamel

Tooth enamel, along with dentin, cementum, and dental pulp is one of the four major tissues that make up the tooth in vertebrates. It is the hardest and most highly mineralized substance in the human body. Tooth enamel is also found in the dermal denticles of sharks...

 is very thin in this region of the tooth. Once past the enamel, abrasion quickly destroys the softer dentin

Dentin

Dentine is a calcified tissue of the body, and along with enamel, cementum, and pulp is one of the four major components of teeth. Usually, it is covered by enamel on the crown and cementum on the root and surrounds the entire pulp...

 and cementum

Cementum

Cementum is a specialized calcified substance covering the root of a tooth. Cementum is excreted by cells called cementoblasts within the root of the tooth and is thickest at the root apex. These cementoblasts develop from undifferentiated mesenchymal cells in the connective tissue of the dental...

 structures.

Possible sources of this wearing of tooth are toothbrush

Toothbrush

The toothbrush is an oral hygiene instrument used to clean the teeth and gums that consists of a head of tightly clustered bristles mounted on a handle, which facilitates the cleansing of hard-to-reach areas of the mouth. Toothpaste, which often contains fluoride, is commonly used in conjunction...

es, toothpick

Toothpick

A toothpick is a small stick of wood, plastic, bamboo, metal, bone or other substance used to remove detritus from the teeth, usually after a meal. A toothpick usually has one or two sharp ends to insert between teeth. They can also be used for picking up small appetizers or as a cocktail...

s, floss

Dental floss

Dental floss is made of either a bundle of thin nylon filaments or a plastic ribbon used to remove food and dental plaque from teeth. The floss is gently inserted between the teeth and scraped along the teeth sides, especially close to the gums. Dental floss may be flavored or unflavored, and...

, and any dental appliance frequently set in and removed from the mouth. The appearance is commonly described as V-shaped when caused by excessive pressure during tooth brushing.

The teeth most commonly affected are premolar

Premolar

The premolar teeth or bicuspids are transitional teeth located between the canine and molar teeth. In humans, there are two premolars per quadrant, making eight premolars total in the mouth. They have at least two cusps. Premolars can be considered as a 'transitional tooth' during chewing, or...

s and canine

Canine tooth

In mammalian oral anatomy, the canine teeth, also called cuspids, dogteeth, fangs, or eye teeth, are relatively long, pointed teeth...

s.

Treatment

Modification of oral hygiene habit (such as avoiding overzealous brushing, use of soft bristle toothbrush) is important to prevent further progression. Existing abrasion cavities can be restored by dental fillings, composite and glass ionomer are both commonly used materials for such cavities.

For severe abrasion which involves pulp of the tooth, root canal treatment may be needed.

In archaeology

Archaeologist

Archaeology

Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...

s utilize evidence of dental abrasion as indication of dietary and other health issues of prehistoric peoples. There are a number of examples of cranial recoveries dating thousands of years before present, where abrasion of teeth is used to analyze age and lifestyle of prehistoric peoples.

See also

• Attrition
  Attrition (dental)
  Attrition is the loss of teeth structure by mechanical forces from opposing teeth. Attrition initially affects the enamel and, if unchecked, may proceed to the underlying dentin. Once past the enamel, attrition quickly destroys the softer dentin. Erosion is a very important contributing factor to...
  
  
• Erosion
  Erosion (dental)
  Acid erosion, also known as dental erosion, is the irreversible loss of tooth structure due to chemical dissolution by acids not of bacterial origin. Dental erosion is the most common chronic disease of children ages 5–17, although it is only relatively recently that it has been recognised...
  
  
• Abfraction
  Abfraction
  Abfraction is the loss of tooth structure from flexural forces. It is hypothesized that enamel, especially at the cementoenamel junction , undergo this pattern of destruction by separating the enamel rods....
  
  
• Bruxism
  Bruxism
  Bruxism is characterized by the grinding of the teeth and typically includes the clenching of the jaw. It is an oral parafunctional activity that occurs in most humans at some time in their lives. In most people, bruxism is mild enough not to be a health problem...