How to diagnose Erosive Tooth Wear

Erosive tooth wear is a surface phenomenon, and therefore the diagnosis can be easily made by visual inspection.^21-24 In initial stages, the normal surface texture and lustre of enamel is lost with the loss of Perikymata, making the enamel surface to exhibit a silky-shiny appearance. With continued acid impacts, convex tooth structures flatten, and distinct defects develop, with erosive lesions on smooth surfaces, which are mainly located coronal to the enamel-cementum junction, being flat, dull, with an intact enamel rim along the gingival margin, and exhibiting shallow concavity that the width clearly exceeds its depth. On occlusal and incisal surfaces, the early erosive lesions are characterized by flattened and cupped cusps and restorations may stand proud of the surface. In advanced stages, the occlusal morphology may completely disappear, with involvement of dentin.^21-24