The Common Problem of Toothbrush Abrasion
As a dentist, every day I see patients with significant toothbrush abrasion. Typically this occurs where the gum has receded slightly, exposing the top of the root. The root is not as hard as the enamel and is therefore worn away more easily. If this happens to use you will often feel a V-shaped notch at the gumline that you can get your fingernail into. This may or may not be sensitive to air and hot or cold food and drink.
Typically, I find that patients with toothbrush abrasion have a history of hard scrubbing with a manual toothbrush. I always advise switching to an electric toothbrush because the toothbrush does the work for you and you don’t use it to scrub. I also advise using one with a pressure sensor.
The other thing to consider is your toothpaste. Toothpastes vary widely in terms of their abrasiveness. Have a look at the table below. The lower the number the better. I use Colgate Total which is a good all round toothpaste with an abrasive score of 70 and fits into the category of low abrasiveness. However, you will see that there are a large number of toothpastes that are highly abrasive!
When these abrasions are of a significant size and/or cause sensitivity, they can be repaired with a tooth coloured filling.
If you are concerned about toothbrush abrasion, and/or need a New Malden dentist, then get in touch and I would be happy to see you.