Toothbrushing: handle with care

Professor Andrew Eder is a specialist in restorative dentistry and prosthodontics and a clinical director of the London Tooth Wear Centre, a specialist referral practice in central London. He is also a professor/honorary consultant at the UCL Eastman Dental Institute and pro-vice-provost and director of life learning at UCL.

“The Oxford Dictionary of Dentistry defines ‘abrasion’ as, ‘The non-bacterial loss of tooth tissue due to frictional tooth wear by extrinsic agents. Common causes are toothbrushing, particularly with abrasive pastes, pipe smoking, and pencil chewing. The lesions produced by toothbrush abrasion are typically wedge-shaped and are most commonly associated with the labial and buccal surfaces of the premolars, canines and incisors of the permanent dentition.’

“These are not the only cause of abrasion – you can add to the list a diet rough in texture or using the teeth for a purpose other than nature intended, such as biting tags off new purchases or cleaning between the teeth with tools not created for that purpose, for instance earring posts, keys and credit cards.