Prehistoric Teeth with Decay?

I saw a link to this video in this Morning’s Vancouver Sun Online:

Early Evidence of tooth Decay?

There’s a problem here…that’s not tooth decay!  The pictured teeth show nothing more than wear brought about by an abrasive diet, followed by dentin erosion (pitting) due to the same diet.

Seeing this video reminded me that most people don’t realize that not all holes in teeth are “cavities”.  While decay is by far the most common cause of tooth loss in modern society, wear-related issues claimed far more teeth in the ages before organized agriculture began to produce carbohydrates and sugar.  Tooth wear is still very much an issue today, and left unchecked, can result in teeth like those seen in the video.

Did you know:

-That most commercially available toothpastes contain enough abrasive to create pits in the dentin core of your teeth?

-That acids in your diet (or from your stomach) can create patterns of damage exactly like those seen on those stone age skulls?

-That once you’ve worn through the outer enamel layer on your teeth, the inner dentin core will wear much more quickly in the presence of abrasive toothpaste, diet, or acids?