Oral Health›Common problems

Tooth Wear: Erosion, Abrasion and Grinding

Some wear on teeth is normal over a lifetime, but acid, hard brushing and grinding can wear them down faster. Here are the kinds of tooth wear, the signs, and how to slow it down.

Updated September 2026·By the OHA editorial team·7 min read·How we write
Key takeaways
  • Tooth wear is the loss of tooth surface that is not caused by decay or injury. Almost everyone has a little, and it often causes no problems.
  • There are three main kinds: erosion (acid), abrasion (rubbing from something other than teeth, such as hard brushing) and attrition (teeth grinding against teeth). They often happen together.
  • Signs include sensitivity, teeth that look shorter, more yellow or smooth and shiny, sharp or chipped edges, and fillings that stand proud of the tooth.
  • Worn enamel does not grow back, so finding and dealing with the cause is very important.
  • Your dentist can monitor wear, protect your teeth and, if needed, build them back up with fillings or crowns.

Teeth are made to last, but their surfaces can be worn away over the years. A leaflet for patients from University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust describes tooth wear as the loss of tooth substance that is not caused by decay or trauma. It says almost all patients have some minor tooth wear that causes no problems, but some have severe wear that can make teeth sensitive, sharp or difficult to chew with, or change how they look.

What are the kinds of tooth wear?

The Leicester leaflet names three main causes.

Erosion: acid

Erosion is the loss of the tooth surface caused by acid. healthdirect Australia and the Oral Health Foundation point out that, unlike decay, it does not involve bacteria. The acid can come from food and drink, or from your stomach if you vomit often or have reflux. The Leicester leaflet says some people do not know they have reflux.

Erosion is covered in detail, including which food and drinks are acidic, in sugar, acid and your teeth. For acid from the stomach, see acid reflux, vomiting and your teeth.

Abrasion: rubbing from something other than teeth

Abrasion is wear from anything other than tooth-on-tooth contact. The Leicester leaflet gives brushing too hard, pipe smoking and nail biting as examples. The Oral Health Foundation (UK) says brushing too hard can wear away enamel (the hard outer layer of the tooth), make teeth sensitive and cause gums to recede (shrink back). The Australian Dental Association also says pressing too hard can damage your teeth.

The American Dental Association (ADA) puts it more cautiously. It says abrasion from toothbrushing may happen in rare cases of excessive or aggressive brushing, and that normal brushing with a soft-bristled brush and a low-abrasion fluoride toothpaste is considered unlikely to cause erosive wear of enamel.

Attrition: teeth grinding against teeth

Attrition is wear from direct contact between teeth. The Leicester leaflet says it tends to affect the biting surfaces and is often caused by repeated clenching and grinding (bruxism), which some people do in their sleep without knowing. See teeth grinding.

Why the kinds often go together

Acid makes the other kinds of wear worse. The Better Health Channel (Victoria) explains that acid softens the tooth surface, making it easier to wear away by abrasion or grinding, which it calls erosive tooth wear. The Australian Dental Association describes the same two stages.

What are the signs of tooth wear?

healthdirect Australia, the Better Health Channel, the Australian Dental Association and the Leicester leaflet list signs including:

  • teeth that are sensitive to hot and cold (the Better Health Channel adds sweet food and drinks)
  • teeth that look shorter, or have sharp or chipped edges
  • a smooth, shiny look to the tooth surface
  • yellowish patches, where the enamel has thinned and the dentine (the softer, yellower layer underneath) shows through
  • fillings that look higher or more prominent, because the tooth around them has worn down
  • difficulty chewing, or a change in the way your teeth bite together when many teeth are affected

Where the wear is can hint at the cause. healthdirect and the Australian Dental Association say the inside surfaces of teeth are more likely to be affected when the acid comes from the stomach.

Early wear can be hard to spot. The ADA says early erosion can be difficult to diagnose because people often have no clear symptoms.

Why does it matter?

The main reason is that lost tooth surface does not come back. healthdirect says tooth enamel cannot grow back once it has gone, and the Better Health Channel says saliva can repair the very early stages of erosion but cannot regrow lost tooth surface.

If wear carries on, the Better Health Channel says it can lead to complex and lengthy dental treatment, such as fillings, veneers, crowns and possibly root canal treatment. The ADA says severe erosion can lead to exposed dentine, sensitivity and eventually loss of the affected teeth.

How can you prevent tooth wear?

The Leicester leaflet says it is important to think about your lifestyle, diet and habits, past and present, to find the cause.

To reduce acid wear (more detail in sugar, acid and your teeth):

  • Keep acidic food and drinks to mealtimes and cut down how often you have them (Oral Health Foundation, Better Health Channel). The Leicester leaflet suggests water, milk and tea or coffee without sugar rather than fizzy drinks and fruit juice.
  • Do not brush straight after acid. The waiting time differs by source: healthdirect and the Better Health Channel's dental erosion page say at least 30 minutes; the Oral Health Foundation and the Australian Dental Association say one hour. Delivering Better Oral Health, UK guidance written for dental teams, adds that there is no strong evidence that the timing of toothbrushing is of great importance.
  • Keep your mouth from getting dry. The Better Health Channel says a dry mouth increases the risk of erosion and suggests staying well hydrated and chewing sugar-free gum after meals. See dry mouth.
  • If you vomit often or have reflux, see your doctor (Leicester leaflet, Better Health Channel).

To reduce abrasion:

  • Brush gently with fluoride toothpaste and a soft-bristled brush (Better Health Channel, ADA), twice a day (Leicester leaflet). The Oral Health Foundation says soft or medium, held lightly, with small circular movements and no sawing back and forth. See how to brush your teeth.
  • The Oral Health Foundation says sore gums or sensitive teeth may be a sign that you are brushing too hard.

To reduce grinding damage:

  • If you clench or grind, the Leicester leaflet and the Better Health Channel suggest a custom-made splint from your dentist, worn at night. The Leicester leaflet points out that splints wear out and need replacing, which is better than wear to your teeth.
Fluoride and worn teeth

The Leicester leaflet suggests a fluoride mouthwash, used at a different time from brushing, to harden the tooth surface and help with sensitivity. The Better Health Channel says recent studies suggest toothpastes containing stannous fluoride (tin fluoride) help reduce erosion. The ADA says several studies suggest fluoride treatments help protect enamel from erosion, but that results vary and more research is needed.

What can a dentist do?

The Better Health Channel says that when signs of erosion are found, it is very important to find the cause and change it. healthdirect says your dental practitioner can help you work out what is causing erosion so you can avoid it, and the Australian Dental Association says your dentist may ask questions to find the source of the acid.

What happens next depends on how much wear there is:

  • Monitoring. The Leicester leaflet says not everyone with worn teeth needs treatment. If the wear is small and not causing problems, the dentist will keep an eye on it, and may take photographs, models or moulds of your teeth.
  • Strengthening the surface. healthdirect says your dental practitioner may apply a fluoride varnish or a remineralising treatment to strengthen the remaining enamel.
  • Protecting against grinding with a splint (see above and teeth grinding).
  • Building teeth back up. If wear gets worse or causes problems, the Leicester leaflet says worn teeth are often built up with tooth-coloured (composite) fillings, which do not damage the tooth underneath. It says these usually work well over 5 to 7 years but will stain, chip or come off over time and need repairing or replacing. Badly worn teeth may need crowns (caps that cover the whole tooth). See fillings and root canals and crowns and veneers.

The Better Health Channel advises seeing your dental professional every six to twelve months so that wear can be found early and its cause dealt with.

When to see a dentist
  • Your teeth have become sensitive to hot, cold or sweet food and drink.
  • Your teeth look shorter, more yellow, or smooth and shiny, or have sharp or chipped edges.
  • A filling seems to stick up above the tooth around it.
  • You grind or clench your teeth, or someone has heard you grinding at night.
  • You vomit often or have reflux. Also see your doctor about the cause.

Frequently asked questions

Is some tooth wear normal?

Yes. The University Hospitals of Leicester leaflet says almost all patients have some minor tooth wear that does not cause any problems. It becomes a concern when it is severe or getting worse.

Can brushing wear my teeth down?

It can if you brush too hard. The Oral Health Foundation says brushing too hard can wear away enamel and cause gums to recede. The American Dental Association says this is rare and that normal brushing with a soft brush and fluoride toothpaste is unlikely to cause wear. Timing matters too: the Oral Health Foundation says brushing while enamel is softened by acid can remove tiny amounts of it.

Do worn teeth always need treatment?

No. The Leicester leaflet says small wear that is not causing problems is usually monitored. If it gets worse or starts causing problems, treatment can help stop more damage, improve how teeth look and ease discomfort.

Sources

  1. Tooth wear (information for patients), University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, accessed September 2026
  2. Dental erosion, American Dental Association, accessed September 2026
  3. Dental erosion, Better Health Channel (Victoria), accessed September 2026
  4. Dental erosion, healthdirect Australia, accessed September 2026
  5. Tooth erosion, Australian Dental Association, accessed September 2026
  6. Brushing teeth, Australian Dental Association, accessed September 2026
  7. Dental erosion, Oral Health Foundation, accessed September 2026
  8. Avoid brushing teeth too hard, Oral Health Foundation, accessed September 2026
  9. Delivering better oral health, chapter 7: tooth wear, Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England, accessed September 2026

This article is general information about oral health. It is not a diagnosis or a substitute for advice from a dentist or doctor who knows your situation. If you have pain, swelling, bleeding that does not settle, or a problem that is getting worse, see a dental professional. In an emergency, contact your local emergency service.

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