Have you ever looked into the mirror while brushing your teeth and notice that they are worn? Or indeed, perhaps you’ve looked at a picture of yourself, smiling with your pearly whites, only to discover that your front teeth look worn down? Whatever reason you’ve had for discovering your worn teeth it can be distressing and make you feel very self-conscious about smiling properly – particularly if you have in the past suffered from repetitive teeth grinding. However, you will be delighted to know that worn teeth are something that can be treated successfully.
Very often worn teeth are aesthetic, but in extreme cases they can give you headaches, earache and even neck pain where they have affected your bite.
There are three types of accelerated tooth structure loss and today, we’re going to run through what they are for you, so you can get an idea as to why you have worn teeth and consequently, how decent treatment will eradicate the problem.
Attrition
If you grind or even clench your teeth a lot, then you may well suffer with worn teeth. Attrition is where you have tooth-to-tooth wear on the biting edges.
Abrasion
For anyone that takes their oral health seriously, they can sometimes ‘over brush’ or be too hard when they brush. This kind of issue generally affects the sides and the necks of your teeth.
Erosion
This is a very common issue when it comes to worn teeth and is where tooth structure is compromised. Enamel and dentine are effectively dissolved through acidic erosion. They can be from a very poor diet but there are also conditions that can contribute such as acid-reflux or bulimia.
Getting the right treatment
There are many treatments available for worn teeth and it will depend on your own specific case as to what treatments you receive. However, as a guide clenching or grinding are often linked to a poor bite, sub-standard dental work or irregular teeth.
If you have a smile that displays your worn teeth then you can receive treatments such as composite bonding, veneers or crowns – all of which will help to restore your smile to its original glory.
Bruxism
While we all know that teeth are for chewing and grinding food any habitual grinding is called bruxism and affects a lot of people in the UK. It can lead to worn down teeth but also make your teeth susceptible to decaying – especially as the grinding starts to crack the enamel. Equally, it can have other affects to in severe cases, and is one of the issues you should definitely get fixed.
Advanced Dentistry in Windsor has treated a number of people over the years for worn teeth and with a number of types of treatment. So if you are looking for a highly professional, skilled practice where attention to detail is a natural part of the service, do contact us for an initial consultation.
Don’t put-up with worn teeth. Get them fixed and start smiling again!
