Unbiased oral health information

Diagnoses

Chemical erosion

Establishing this diagnosis

Establishing a diagnosis involves examination, review of medical and dental history, clinical data analysis, and tests that are specific to your condition. Only a dentist can evaluate your signs and symptoms to establish a diagnosis.

Patient history is very important. Tooth enamel is extremely durable, and is normally thick enough to mask the underlying dentin. Typically surface features such as cusps and relatively sharp ridges are present in the teeth. These features are typically missing or reduced when acid erosion is present. The convex surface contours may become concave, and the thin, transparent enamel that remains allows the underlying dentin to show through. This makes the tooth appear yellow-brown. There is often an absence of flattened wear planes ("facets") on opposing surfaces, because the acid erodes them away. The surface features of the tooth resemble melted ice.