An increasing number of younger individuals are losing their enamel and wearing down their teeth. While it is normal for your teeth to show some wear and tear as you age, it is abnormal for it to happen in your 20s. Dentists are worried about dental erosion, why your teeth are wearing down, and how to stop it.
🦷 What is Dental Erosion
Dental and tooth erosion are the same condition, which cannot be reversed. It is the chemical erosion of dentin and tooth enamel by an acid. Once linked to aging adults, this condition is being seen in much younger patients in alarming numbers. Dental erosion is widespread worldwide and is linked to the consumption of acidic beverages and tooth-damaging habits.
Tooth erosion over a long period of time leads to excessive irreversible loss of tooth structure, leaving your smile discolored, your teeth chipped, or significantly smaller.
🍋 Sources of Tooth Erosion
There are multiple causes of tooth erosion, some of which you can control and some you cannot.
- Acidic beverages are the most common and controllable cause of dental erosion. They are considered the number one cause of tooth erosion. This includes all soda and lemony drinks, such as carbonated lemonade, as well as the daily intake of lemon water and lemon-based beverages.
Fruit juices and sports drinks with a pH below 3.5 are at an increased risk of tooth erosion. The more sports drinks and juices you consume, the higher the possible increase in dental erosion.
- GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) is another cause of tooth erosion. The increase in gastric acids in the mouth can also be from acid-producing conditions like hyperemesis while pregnant, anorexia, bulimia, and alcoholism.
In Gerd, occasional post-meal reflux is not the culprit; it is the gastric acid that collects in your mouth while sleeping that does the most damage. While you sleep, you salivate less, which can cause acid to pool on the back molars when you sleep on your back.
- Chewable Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) has been shown in studies to cause the same amount of tooth erosion as soft drinks. The ascorbic acid attacks the tooth enamel resulting in dental erosion.
- Sweet snacks and sweet-sour candy that use ascorbic acid for the sour component predispose individuals to dental erosion, especially when consumed with soda and sports drinks. Vinegar-based dressings used by salad lovers and vegetarians can also contribute to dental erosion.
- Bruxism, or teeth grinding, speeds up tooth wear and tear. The more stress you are under, the worse the grinding and teeth clenching can be. Not only will it increase tooth erosion, but it can also lead to jaw issues such as Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) dysfunction, neck and back pain, and headaches.
💡 Did You Know? Stress, saliva, and silent enamel damage
Clinical studies show that chronic stress reduces saliva flow, weakens its ability to neutralize acids, lowers the minerals that protect enamel, and increases night grinding (bruxism).
When you’re under prolonged stress, your body shifts into a sympathetic (“fight or flight”) state. This has two important oral effects:
- Saliva production drops (dry mouth)
- Saliva becomes more acidic and less protective
Saliva is your natural enamel defender. It buffers acids, supplies calcium and phosphate to remineralize enamel, and washes away corrosive agents. When stress reduces both the quantity and quality of saliva, your teeth are left exposed to acids for much longer periods.
At the same time, stress dramatically increases bruxism, especially during sleep. This means your enamel is being chemically weakened by acids and mechanically worn down by grinding—a destructive combination that accelerates tooth wear far beyond normal aging.
In other words: stress doesn’t just make you grind your teeth — it removes your teeth’s natural protection while you do it.
- Bulimia Nervosa is self-induced vomiting as a form of weight loss. 90% of all bulimics have tooth erosion caused by the acidic vomit. Dentists are more apt to notice the erosion than other healthcare providers, as most of the erosion is on the inner side of your teeth. Unfortunately, brushing after vomiting can do more damage. After vomiting, rinse the mouth with water, sodium bicarbonate, or milk before brushing.
- Pregnancy, like bulimia, can cause enamel erosion in pregnant women. Tooth erosion occurs in pregnant women with hyperemesis (a condition in which women vomit profusely in the first trimester).
- Chronic Alcoholism with recurring vomiting and increasing GERD can cause tooth erosion that worsens if the individual also imbibes in acidic drinks. Studies have shown that up to 92% of alcoholics have some form of tooth erosion.
- Lifestyle Habits, including strenuous activity and sports, decrease saliva production and increase dehydration, leading to gastric reflux and dental erosion.
Swimmers exposed to chlorine over the long term are at risk of dental erosion from chlorinated water.
✅ Dental Erosion Solutions
Dental erosion treatments are based on the severity of damage to the teeth.
Dental crowns are for severely damaged teeth. It is a restorative treatment that will leave you with a dazzling smile. Once the tooth is prepped, a crowns is placed over the damaged tooth. They are the ideal long-term solution, lasting 15-20 years with proper oral care.
Dental Veneers made of porcelain or ceramic are a restorative treatment that covers a chipped, structurally small, or fragile piece of tooth. They are fitted onto a tooth and bonded in place. Veneers are aesthetic while protecting the tooth from further damage. They can last 20-30 years with proper oral care.
Composite Bonding is the least invasive of the three dental treatments. It involves restoring the tooth to its original shape. After the tooth is prepped, composite bonding is applied. It is shaped to resemble your natural teeth. Composite bonding may need retouching at some point, especially if you have bruxism. It is critical to wear a mouthguard during composite bonding to prevent further tooth injury.
How are severely worn-down teeth rebuilt?
When erosion, grinding or years of missing back teeth have shortened your teeth, the fix is rarely a single filling. Severely worn teeth are rebuilt with a planned set of restorations, usually onlays and crowns, that restore the lost height, protect what is left of each tooth and give your bite a stable surface to chew on again. The goal is not only to make teeth look longer, but to make them work together.
The right restoration depends on how much healthy tooth structure remains:
- Composite bonding: for early, shallow wear on a few teeth. It adds back thin layers of enamel-colored material without drilling.
- Onlays: for back teeth that have lost their chewing surface but still have strong walls. An onlay covers only the damaged part, so it preserves more natural tooth than a full crown.
- Crowns: for teeth that are weak, cracked or very short. Zirconia is used on back teeth because it withstands heavy chewing forces, and E.max porcelain on front teeth because it mimics the translucency of enamel.
Before any tooth is restored, the dentist needs to understand why it wore down. If acid, reflux or grinding is still active, new restorations will wear or break the same way, so the cause is treated first.
What is bite collapse, and how is it fixed?
Bite collapse happens when teeth lose so much height, or so many back teeth go missing, that the upper and lower jaws close closer together than they should. Dentists call this a loss of vertical dimension. It is one of the most common reasons a face looks older than it is, and it is often missed because it happens slowly.
Common signs include:
- Front teeth that look short, flat or chipped, especially at the edges
- Deeper lines at the corners of the mouth and lips that look thinner
- Front teeth fanning out or developing gaps after back teeth were lost
- Jaw soreness, headaches on waking or clicking in the jaw joint
- Difficulty chewing because back teeth no longer meet properly
Fixing bite collapse means restoring the lost height in a controlled way. The case is planned with digital scans and 3D imaging, the new bite is tested before anything is final, and then the teeth are rebuilt with crowns or onlays. Where back teeth are missing, dental implants restore the support the bite needs, so the new restorations do not have to carry all the load.
When do you need a prosthodontist?
A prosthodontist is a dentist with specialized training in restoring and replacing teeth, including full-mouth rehabilitation. You should look for one when several teeth need to be rebuilt at once, when your bite has collapsed, or when missing teeth, worn teeth and an uneven bite all need to be solved together. These cases require planning the whole mouth, not tooth by tooth.
At Shtern Dental Clinic, complex restorative cases are planned by our prosthodontists working with our oral surgeons and periodontist, using CBCT 3D imaging, intraoral scanning and our in-house dental lab. Single crowns start at $520 USD, and the full-mouth package of 20 crowns is $10,400 USD, including evaluation, CBCT, digital smile design and shade selection.
Can Botox and a night guard stop teeth grinding?
Grinding and clenching—called bruxism—are major drivers of dental erosion and worn-down teeth. A custom night guard and Botox injections into the chewing muscles address two different parts of the problem: the guard protects the teeth, while Botox can reduce the force generated by overactive jaw muscles.
What a night guard does
A night guard is a custom appliance worn during sleep. It creates a protective barrier between the upper and lower teeth, so grinding wears down the guard instead of enamel, crowns, veneers or new restorations.
A guard does not always stop the grinding habit itself. Its main value is protection—especially important after crowns, onlays, implants or full-mouth rehabilitation, when the new dental work needs to be preserved.
What Botox does for clenching
Botox, usually injected into the masseter muscles at the back of the jaw, temporarily reduces the strength of muscle contractions. This can lessen jaw tension, clenching force, morning jaw soreness and the pressure placed on worn or restored teeth.
The effect is temporary, commonly lasting several months, so it needs repeating to maintain the result. Research shows that Botox can reduce muscle activity, bite force and bruxism-related pain, but the evidence that it reliably reduces how often someone grinds is still mixed.
Why dentists often combine both
For patients with significant enamel loss, cracked teeth or new crowns, Botox alone is not enough: even with reduced muscle force, teeth can still contact and wear against each other. For that reason, a night guard often remains part of the plan even after Botox treatment.
A combined approach may be appropriate when a patient has:
- Visible flattening, chipping or sensitivity from grinding
- Jaw pain, tightness or morning headaches
- Large restorations, crowns or implants that need long-term protection
- Strong masseter muscles and heavy clenching forces
- A history of broken teeth, fractured fillings or worn dental work
The guard protects the teeth; Botox may reduce the destructive force behind the grinding. Neither replaces a proper diagnosis of why the grinding is happening, including stress, bite problems, sleep-disordered breathing or acid erosion.
Is Botox right for everyone?
Botox for bruxism is generally considered an additional treatment, not the first step for every patient. Conservative options—such as a properly designed night guard, stress management, physical therapy and treating reflux or sleep problems—are usually evaluated first.
It should be avoided or approached cautiously in patients with certain neuromuscular conditions, swallowing or breathing concerns, or during pregnancy. A dentist should assess the bite, jaw joints, muscle tenderness, medical history and airway before recommending injections.
At Shtern Dental Clinic, patients with heavy wear receive a full diagnostic plan before treatment. We evaluate the cause of the erosion, design a custom night guard when needed, and coordinate Botox treatment for jaw-muscle overactivity when it will genuinely protect the teeth and improve comfort.
Our surgeons have completed advanced, specialized training in the use of Botox for bruxism, giving patients in Cancún access to carefully planned treatment that targets the source of clenching while protecting worn or newly restored teeth.
🛡️ Preventing Dental Erosion
- Limit acidic beverages such as soda, lemon water, and other carbonated or sweetened beverages. Water is great for your overall health; choose it over acidic options
- Use a straw when drinking acidic beverages
- Brush twice a day gently with a soft-bristle brush and fluoride toothpaste.
- After consuming acidic foods or beverages, wait 30 minutes before brushing. Your saliva needs time to buffer the acid and let the enamel harden. Brushing too soon can make dental erosion worse
- Improve your dairy intake. Dairy products help neutralize acids in your mouth, while calcium and phosphate help repair the enamel
- See your dentist regularly; if dental erosion should happen, it can be caught early, avoiding long-term damage
💡 Expert Tip: Did You Know?
If you drink coffee when you’re stressed, avoid sipping it slowly over a long time. Try to finish it within 10–15 minutes, then take a few sips of water or eat a small bite of cheese or nuts.
Why this helps: coffee is acidic, and when you sip it for an hour, your teeth stay in an acidic environment the whole time. Under stress, saliva is reduced, so your mouth can’t neutralize those acids quickly. Water helps rinse and rebalance the mouth, while cheese or nuts stimulate saliva and provide minerals that help protect enamel.
This simple habit shortens the acid exposure time and gives your teeth a chance to recover — especially important for people with dry mouth or stress-related grinding.
Looking for a vacation destination? Choose Cancun, Mexico, home of the Shtern Dental Clinic. Enjoy the ocean, sand, and sun while receiving quality dental care. Our experienced staff and expert dental team offer a wide range of experience in dental solutions. Contact us for an initial appointment and leave Cancun with a radiant smile!
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