Cosmetic restorations can offer you a much improved smile

There are a lot of things that can go wrong with our Teeth if we don’t look after them well. Perhaps the problem most familiar to us is tooth decay. Although this isn’t instant, it can occur over a relatively short space of time. Another fairly common problem, although occuring mainly over a longer term, is the gradual wearing down of the enamel on our teeth.

Although making sure that the enamel remains healthy through regular brushing etc will keep it strong and help to minimise the risk of wearing down, this can still happen, often over a longer period of time. There can be many causes including a poor diet, an incorrect bite or even grinding of the teeth when we sleep.

Problems resulting from worn down teeth

As the enamel of our teeth wears down, there are a number of problems that can arise for our Chelmsford patients. Some of these are largely aesthetic, but others can cause other issues including discomfort.

Small teeth

The bottom row of our front teeth especially can start to look smaller in size as they wear down. This can change what was once an attractive smile into one that looks more unusual. With more and more people becoming conscious about how their teeth look, this is one look that you will want to avoid.

Sensitive teeth

A common issues that we hear about during examinations at Blue Sky Dental is that of sensitive teeth. This doesn’t usually cause consistent pain but can bring sharp pains when extreme temperatures are encountered; for example, when eating ice cream. Even cold weather can set it off and cause you to avoid going out when the weather turns cold.

Weakened teeth

Another problem with teeth that have been worn down and compromised is that they are usually weaker than healthy teeth and are therefore more likely to crack or break. Not only can this be painful but would require a restoration of the tooth or even a replacement. Where the patient is aware that their teeth have been weakened, they may also avoid eating certain foods for fear of them breaking.

Preventing worn teeth

There are a few things that can be done which will help to keep your teeth strong and the enamel healthy. The most obvious one is brushing and flossing regularly as well as dental and hygienist appointments at our Chelmsford dental practice.

Other than this, you should avoid acidic food and drinks and especially fizzy or fruit drinks. As these pass over the teeth, they will gradually wear away the enamel. If your enamel erosion is caused by teeth grinding, you may need to seek professional help to  stop this. A protective guard might also help and you should discuss this with your dentist.

Crooked teeth too cause an uneven bite that leads to premature wearing. Please ask our dentists about our corrective orthodontic options that we have available at our Chelmsford practice.

Restorative treatments

Once your teeth are damaged, the only way to prevent further deterioration is to restore them using dental treatment and there are a number of options which are suitable for different situations.

Bonding

Bonding can be used to ‘build up’ teeth that have been worn. However it is not as strong as other types of restorations and can discolour more easily too. It does have various uses though and can provide a fast solution for a one off situation such as a wedding or other important event.

Porcelain veneers

Veneers can provide a more durable and practical solution than bonding and are usually used on the visible front teeth. They are also often used to improve the appearance of badly stained teeth.  In most cases, a fine layer of the natural tooth will be removed and replaced by an equivalent thickness of porcelain which is then attached using dental adhesive and shaped and polished to improve the appearance of the teeth. If looked after well, veneers can last for 10 years or more.

Dental crowns

Whilst veneers can only really be used on the front teeth, crowns provide a solution for teeth that need to be stronger, for example those used for grinding food. To fit a crown, the tooth has to be shaped and impressions taken which are then sent to a laboratory for the crowns to be made. These are then attached to the prepared teeth using special adhesive.

If you are concerned about your teeth for any reason, it is always a good idea to have them checked by a dentist before they become worse. If you would like an appointment at Blue Sky Dental, please call our reception team on 01245 211070 and we’ll be pleased to book an appointment for you.

The post What Can Be Done For Worn Down Teeth? first appeared on Blue Sky Dental Blog.