The present-day terminology and definitions of tooth wear are not unambiguous. For diagnosing tooth wear, however, it is essential that they are unambiguous. In this article a proposal is presented for a tooth wear evaluation system with simplified definitions. This system consists of a number of modules and can be used for various aspects of the diagnostic procedure. It can be used for the quantification of tooth wear, both for periodic screening and for the monitoring of tooth wear in individual patients. The scoring of occlusal/incisal tooth wear as well as of nonocclusal/non-incisal tooth wear is possible. The evaluative system is also suitable for determining which type of tooth wear, such as attrition, abrasion and erosion, is most likely to have caused any observed loss of hard tooth tissue.