04 Feb Worn down teeth? Regain your Smile

Outcome of Patients treated at Putney Dental Surgery for worn teeth by using resin filling material

An extremely common problem in our society today is excessive wear that occurs above and beyond expected age related wear. More than half of the adults we see in our practice exhibit extensive wear on their teeth. The result is unattractive smiles with short teeth and spaces between the teeth. In many cases when these people smile, you cannot even see that they have teeth! Having this condition makes people appear much older looking than they actually are.

Teeth grinding (scientifically called Bruxism) is a problem among children and adults alike. Most children lose the habit as they grow older but, for some, the habit follows them through adulthood. When grinding starts occurring regularly, it might be time to make some changes.

Why do people grind their teeth?

Teeth grinding often occurs while one is sleeping, but common factors can include stress and anxiety. In some cases, teeth grinding can also be a sign of sleep aponea.

It can be hard to know if you are a teeth-grinder yourself, since it usually happens during your sleep. Pay attention to your body in the mornings as waking up with dull, constant headaches, a sore jaw  or worn teeth can  be a sign that you might be grinding your teeth while you sleep.

Should I be worried if I hear my child grinding his or her teeth?

Teeth grinding is very common among children – especially while they sleep – so you should not be alarmed if you hear your child grinding his or her teeth from time to time. In fact, approximately 15 to 33 percent of children grind their teeth.There has been no evidence of baby teeth being affected by a child’s teeth grinding since the teeth fall out eventually anyway.

Why is teeth grinding harmful?

If only done occasionally, teeth grinding is not a health risk. Regular teeth grinding can result in the loosening, loss, or fracture of the teeth. If this becomes the case, dentures may be needed as teeth are likely to turn to worn teeth, stumps and crowns and fillings will have no place in the mouth any longer.

Regain your Smile and stop tooth grinding 

At Putney Dental Surgery we can treat worn teeth with

1. Resin tooth coloured fillings
2. Porecelain veneers
3. Crowns

Once the treatment is carried out  customised night guard –Splint  is recommended  The appliance  makes teeth grinding almost impossible because, if the individual tries to grind, the splint just grinds together – not affecting the teeth.

If you want to know whether or not you grind your teeth, ask Dr Patel at your next appointment — she should be able to tell you just by looking at the structure of your teeth if treatment is required

Excessive tooth wear is a serious problem that should not be ignored. In any case of excessive tooth wear, the key is proper diagnosis. Informing and educating people is much easier when they are able to recognize that a problem exists so that the correct treatment can be provided.