All teeth wear as we get older…

but if the wear is excessive ,is effecting the appearance of your teeth, or is causing a lot of tooth sensitivity, there are some simple affordable techniques we can use to improve this.

In the days of the caveman, teeth wore down due to the need to grind through unprocessed food eg fruit, nuts and meat off the bone. The modern day diet is a lot softer and processed but is also much more acidic.

Consumption of soft drinks, wine, fruit juices, fruit or sports drinks on a daily basis can lead to softening of enamel on the outer layer of the teeth which can accelerate wearing of the teeth when chewing.

The modern lifestyle is also quite stressful so there is an increase in teeth grinding during sleep as a form of stress release. So, we are seeing a lot more tooth wear and in much younger patients.

On the other end of the scale, people are living longer and retaining all their teeth, so this is likely to contribute to the prevalence of tooth wear in the older population.

As the teeth wear, the jaws move closer together when biting. This has the effect of giving your facial profile a prematurely aged look with a prominent chin and creating prominent grooves on the face. Worn teeth also look shorter and squarer which is not very aesthetic and can also contribute to a prematurely aged look.

Tooth colored bonded resins have improved in strength and polishability in the last decade. Building up worn teeth by adding bonded resins can be a viable and affordable alternative to more traditional methods that included cutting significant amounts off the remaining teeth and placing crowns. This may be all you need or it may be a great first step to get the bite and appearance correct before placing more definitive options eg porcelain veneers on the front teeth.

• We will go thorough a detailed questionnaire with you that involves diet and lifestyle to ascertain the main cause of your tooth wear.

• We can discuss ways of improving the quality of your existing enamel to increase its ability to bond to resin.

• We can make plaster casts and take photos of your teeth to show you your teeth in greater detail. We can also show you on these models what your teeth can look like with some additions before making any changes on your actual teeth.

There are some great and very affordable evidence based techniques available to correct excessive tooth wear and improve the look of not only the teeth but the entire facial profile.

Please come in and find out what options are suitable for you!