Complete Procedure to Overcome Tooth Attrition
Tooth wear refers to the loss of tooth surface that is not caused by injury or decay. There are two categories of tooth wear. The first one is physiologic and refers to the amount of wear and tear a tooth goes through as people age; this is considered normal. The second is pathologic and can have a big impact on a person’s tooth function a chewing ability. After some time, it can pose aesthetic concerns and lead to pain as the nerve gets exposed from tooth wear. An example of pathologic tooth wear is attrition.
Attrition happens when the destruction of tooth structure is caused by other teeth because of grinding, clenching, or bruxism. It refers to the mechanical wearing down of the chewing and biting surfaces of the teeth. There is tooth to tooth contact when chewing which grinds down the surfaces. As this happens, the back teeth flatten and the front teeth shorten. When attrition becomes severe, there is an apparent disfiguring effect on the face which leads to increased sensitivity to hot, cold, and sweet food and drinks.
When tooth wear has led the outer enamel to wear away, the tooth dentin (the softer part inside the tooth) will start to wear away faster. It should be noted that dentin is six times softer compared to enamel. Thus, the rate of wear usually speeds up in rate and amount over time. Enamel loss coupled with the sensitivity of the exposed dentin can be attended to by your dentist in a few ways, depending on the degree of tooth attrition. When there is only a small area of erosion, your dentist can do a simple procedure called desensitization.
For larger areas of exposed dentin, the repair is done by bonding the damaged tooth with a tooth-colored filling material. Another option is installing a replacement crown to be filled over the whole tooth when the eroded area has led to a big breakdown in the structure of the tooth. In this case, there is a need to reconstruct the lost tooth structure. There are times when a crown lengthening procedure is needed in addition to crowns because as the tooth wears away, it starts to erupt, pulling with it the bone and gums. When left uncorrected, the inadequate tooth is not able to be correctly restored and the aesthetics will be compromised.
When looking for a dentist to restore damaged teeth from attrition, you must choose an experienced professional to do the procedure. Tooth restoration requires additional training and studies, especially when the case that you have is especially difficult. Try to search online for qualified practitioners. Schedule a meeting with your prospective ones and ask them questions to help ease your worries about getting your tooth fixed. A good dentist will ease your worries and expertly determine the right treatment for you.
You can read more blogs here about dental care:
- Can Tooth-Colored Fillings be Whitened?
- Are Fillings the Ultimate Solution to Prevent a Tooth from Getting Chipped?
| 