Tooth Wear

Restoring worn teeth is extremely beneficial for the aesthetic and condition of your smile and oral health.

Here at Knighton Dental, we can take on complex tooth wear cases and perform full mouth rehabilitation to get you smiling again.

Whilst you may not experience any notable symptoms when tooth wear first occurs, once it becomes chronic, it can have repercussions in the following ways:

Aesthetics

Tooth wear initially affects the enamel protective coating on your teeth. Once this becomes worn, your teeth can appear darker. You may also start to notice your teeth have changed size and shape.

Function

Once your tooth enamel has reached a certain point of wear, this can leave you vulnerable to cavities and even a dental infection attacking the living tissues within a tooth.

Pain and sensitivity

When bacteria affect the living tissues inside a tooth, this can result in inflammation, extreme sensitivity, and abscesses.

Bite problems

Extreme tooth wear can affect how your teeth bite together and make it more difficult to have future restorative treatment, especially if very little tooth structure remains.

Prevention and education

A big part of treatment is preventing any further wear from occurring, thus preventing tooth loss. If you have developed tooth wear due to grinding in your sleep, we can look at creating a night-time splint for you to wear.

We can also investigate lifestyle habits or medical conditions that may have led to worn teeth and help you address these.

Other common causes of tooth wear besides grinding include:

• A high-acid diet.
• Consuming too much sugar.
• Acid reflux.
• Brushing your teeth tooth hard.

Treatment

To restore the form and function of worn teeth, we may suggest building them back up with crowns, veneers, or composite bonding.

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