DEFINITION/OVERVIEW
- Attrition: physiological or pathological wear of teeth as a result of activities such as chewing, biting, or mastication; teeth wearing against other teeth
- Abrasion: pathological wear of a tooth due to an external source or force such as aggressive brushing, flossing, or aggressive use of dental instruments
ETIOLOGY/PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
- Dogs/cats
- Attrition
- Malocclusion that results in abnormal tooth-on-tooth contact
- Level bite: incisor edge meet (mild Class 3 malocclusion—see also Chapter 23)
- Class 3 (brachycephalic): maxillary incisors hit medial surface of mandibular canines and incisors
- Level bite: incisor edge meet (mild Class 3 malocclusion—see also Chapter 23)
- Chewing on objects (hard toys, sticks, rocks, etc.)
- Dermatitis (chewing on hair, skin), atopy, pruritis, excessive grooming
- Malocclusion that results in abnormal tooth-on-tooth contact
- Abrasion
- Aggressive brushing/hand scaling
- Some define abrasion as wear caused by chewing on abrasive objects, including hair (dermatitis)
- Aggressive brushing/hand scaling
- Attrition
SIGNALMENT/HISTORY
- Any breed, size, or gender
- Brachycephalic with Class 3 malocclusion or level bite
- In instances of malocclusions and chewing habits involving moderately coarse objects, the wear is often gradual and sometimes unnoticed until significant
- Few show outward clinical signs, even with significant wear
CLINICAL FEATURES
- Loss of crown height and/or structure at varying levels
- Tooth edges may be chipped and rough, or with gradual attrition, crown surfaces are flat and very smooth at times with the presence of brown reparative dentin visible in the center (Fig. 33-1)
- With excessive or rapid attrition, the surface may be fairly flat and smooth, but the canal might be exposed or open
- Incisor wear may be due to level bite or dermatitis
- Flat wear of canines can be due to Frisbee catching
- Attrition of the distal aspect of canines (cuspid) teeth indicate attempts to chew at wire cages or fences (cage-biters) (Fig. 33-2)
- Flat wear of rostral premolars can be due to tennis balls
- Wear/fractures of carnassial teeth are often due to chewing on hard objects
- Incisor wear may be due to level bite or dermatitis
- Tooth edges may be chipped and rough, or with gradual attrition, crown surfaces are flat and very smooth at times with the presence of brown reparative dentin visible in the center (Fig. 33-1)
- Each tooth must be assessed for the presence of an open canal and radiographed (see “Diagnostics” section)
Figure 33-1 Wear/attrition on incisors (a) and on canine (b) that have reparative dentin (dark brown area) but no apparent canal exposure.
Stay updated, free articles. Join our Telegram channel
Full access? Get Clinical Tree
