Worning: Tooth Wear Ahead

While caries, periodontal disease and tooth wear are all largely preventable, current national guidelines on a preventive approach to oral healthcare provision are limited to advice on the prevention of caries and periodontal disease. Unfortunately, there is not yet a large enough body of evidence to develop guidelines on the prevention of tooth wear. As with caries, it is important to distinguish between 'active' and 'arrested' wear both in assessment and care planning. The aim of this article is to highlight the growing importance of early identification of patients who may be at risk of pathological tooth wear, provide an overview of known tooth wear markers, and suggest the development of a system to assess susceptibility to tooth wear.