Diseases

Tooth Attrition

The wearing away of a tooth as a result of tooth-to-tooth contact, as in mastication, occurring only on the occlusal, incisal, and proximal surfaces. It is chiefly associated with aging. It is differentiated from TOOTH ABRASION (the pathologic wearing away of the tooth substance by friction, as brushing, bruxism, clenching, and other mechanical causes) and from TOOTH EROSION (the loss of substance caused by chemical action without bacterial action). (Jablonski, Dictionary of Dentistry, 1992, p86)

National Library of MedicineMedical Subject Headings2026

Structured Summary

Abstract

The wearing away of a tooth as a result of tooth-to-tooth contact, as in mastication, occurring only on the occlusal, incisal, and proximal surfaces. It is chiefly associated with aging. It is differentiated from TOOTH ABRASION (the pathologic wearing away of the tooth substance by friction, as brushing, bruxism, clenching, and other mechanical causes) and from TOOTH EROSION (the loss of substance caused by chemical action without bacterial action). (Jablonski, Dictionary of Dentistry, 1992, p86)

MeSH Record

Classification

Broader headings

Related Concepts

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MeSH Record

Synonyms

8 entry terms
  • Attrition, Dental
  • Dental Attrition
  • Occlusal Wear
  • Attrition, Tooth
  • Dental Attritions
  • Occlusal Wears
  • Wear, Occlusal
  • Wears, Occlusal

MeSH Record

Aspects Covered

35 allowable subheadings

Indexed with the subheadings blood, cerebrospinal fluid, chemically induced, classification, complications, congenital, diagnosis, diagnostic imaging, diet therapy, drug therapy, economics, embryology, enzymology, epidemiology, ethnology, etiology, genetics, history, immunology, metabolism, microbiology, mortality, nursing, parasitology, pathology, physiopathology, prevention & control, psychology, radiotherapy, rehabilitation, surgery, therapy, urine, veterinary, virology.

MeSH Record

Indexing Annotation

do not confuse with TOOTH EROSION or TOOTH ABRASION

MeSH Record

History Note

1997; for DENTAL ATTRITION use TOOTH ABRASION 1976-1996

MeSH Record

Previous Indexing

  • Tooth Abrasion (1966-1996)

MeSH Hierarchy

Tree Number

AMA Style

References

  1. National Library of Medicine. Tooth Attrition. Medical Subject Headings (MeSH). 2026. Unique ID D019217. http://id.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/2026/D019217
  2. Tooth Attrition. In: Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dental_attrition
  3. Tooth Attrition. In: Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q684868