Have you been told you grind your teeth at night? Have you cracked a tooth? Do have a collapsed bite?
These are some indications you may have tooth wear. At Restore Prosthodontics & Implant Center we are experts in treating tooth wear!
It is import to know there are many causes of tooth wear. These causes of wear can be broken into two major categories, mechanical and chemical.
Types of Tooth Wear
Mechanical wear comes from grinding and clenching, or from habits such as chewing on pencils or paperclips. Chemical wear, also known as erosive wear is often attributed to foods and drinks such as soft drinks and citrus fruits and internal sources such as from acid reflux or regurgitation.
Does tooth wear get worse?
Regardless of the cause, tooth wear does not repair itself! Often, if left untreated, the rate of wear increases with time. Eventually, tooth wear can become both a functional and esthetic problem. Early intervention is crucial with tooth wear. The further wear progresses the more intensive the required treatment becomes.
What can be done for tooth wear?
Thankfully there are many ways to prevent and repair damage from tooth wear. Before treatment, it is imperative that the prosthodontist determines the causes of the tooth wear as it helps guide the appropriate treatment as not all tooth wear is treated the same.
Some potential treatments for tooth wear include occlusal guard, tooth equilibration, crowns, and many more. At Restore Prosthodontics & Implant Center we make sure to address the underlying cause of the tooth wear to ensure long term health, function, and esthetics.
Whether you want to prevent tooth wear or repair years of wear, give us a call to schedule your consultation.
