What is dental erosion?
Dental erosion is the loss of enamel caused by acid attack. When the enamel is worn away it can lead to pain and sensitivity. After eating or drinking something acidic, the enamel on your teeth becomes soft for a short time. If you have too many acid attacks your teeth will not have enough time to restore to their natural balance.
Dental erosion is when tooth structure is dissolved away by strong acid from some foods, beverages and medicines, or from refluxed stomach acids. These enter the mouth frequently enough to simply dissolve the surface layers of tooth enamel and, in extreme cases, the underlying dentine. Erosion is totally unrelated to plaque and tooth decay. Which tooth surfaces are affected depend on where the acid comes from and whether there is enough saliva around to neutralise it. Parts of the teeth that are close to the major salivary glands are almost invariably protected. The sites far away from the salivary ducts are vulnerable, especially if saliva production is low or if the acid attack is frequent.
