You may be wondering if you have worn teeth. Bad news
is that it is common and many people fail to realize that it’s actually
happening. It means that dentist may be the first person to tell those people
that they are showing signs of tooth wear.
Another bad news here is that many people don’t
consider tooth wear as a major problem. The matter of fact is that it is third
most serious dental problem after tooth decay and gum disease. Hence, it
becomes worth mentioning the risks involved in tooth wear, its prevention as
well as treatment options.
How
teeth are worn?
Tooth wear is the process which develops over a certain
period of time. When we eat of talk, we use our teeth. It can result in tooth
wear at certain level. However, it’s not as alarming as teeth-grinding which
can prompt to tooth wear quite faster. You can grind your teeth during day;
especially when you are going through stressful situation and you tightly
clench you jaw while thinking about something. This tooth-to-tooth interaction
between upper and lower jaw can result in severe tooth wearing. Other reasons
for tooth wear include:
- Biting on hard objects
- Exposure to acids
- Tooth decay (there is two-way connection between Tooth wear and tooth decay)
What
tends to happen when your teeth wear out?
There are some consequences of tooth wear. And some can
turn out to be disastrous. Let’s start with tooth decay. Worn out teeth are
essentially decayed teeth whose enamel is gone. Hence, the dentin is exposed
and ready to be infected.
Another consequence of tooth wear is uneven bite. When
your teeth are worn out, you essentially lose ideal straightness in the teeth.
It can lead to uneven bite. Initially, the problem would seem to relate teeth
unsettling on each other. The problem gets worse and can lead to TMD which can
result in extreme jaw pain.
With teeth getting shortened in length due to wearing
out, your face tends to look changed, and that too not in good way. Especially
your lower jaw is going to look smaller.
Solutions
When we talk about solutions, prevention is the key to
better health. But you may not be able to prevent it from happening. In that
case, there are treatment options you can discuss with your dentist. One
solution that you can go for is the use of night guard. It is specifically
beneficial when you grind your teeth at night.
If your teeth are worn out to a significant level, you
may find your cure in dental crown and other restorations.
