by John Slate, DMD

As a new member of the AACD I am excited to share cases like this one with the many tremendous clinicians who make up the AACD!

My Patient's Chief Complaint:

"Visually my teeth are weirdly shaped, and angled. I have noticed some significant wear over the past several months. I feel like I have lost 1-3mm of tooth structure quickly. I want a healthy foundation, and am aware of a breakdown mostly on my back teeth. I want my teeth to look better, and want to fix them."

This patient has some discomfort on the lower right side of his mouth, particularly to cold. He has a past history of reflux attributed to his drinking and diet problems in the past. He no longer feels as if he has reflux.

He has poor sleeping habits and stated that he sleeps for 4-5 hours a night, oftentimes waking up at 3am and staying awake. He does not believe he has difficulty breathing or has any airway obstructions, however I would like to have him evaluated by an ENT to rule out possible apnea and acid reflux. His oral hygiene is normal, brushes twice a day with an electric toothbrush, but does not floss regularly (1x/week). He has been told in the past that he grinds his teeth. He works for a hospitality company in the beverage department. He admits to tasting upwards of 50+ wines a day, which I believe is the main etiology for his severe acid erosion.