Introduction to generalised dental wear

Additive adhesive dentistry is undoubtedly becoming the standard of care in the interception and treatment of generalized dental wear. An increasingly High number of people even at a young adult age start to develop pathological enamel wear patterns. In time, negative effects like tooth sensitivity, tooth fracture, gingival loss, esthetic discomfort, even temporomandibular joint related problems could occur. Even if they are successfully diagnosed, they need to be intercepted at the right time in order to be able to preserve the protective barrier provided by enamel and to maintain wear at physiological levels.

If you lose tooth structure at a much higher pace than normal during 10 or 20 years, once it reaches dentin (the dental structure under your enamel) the pace goes approximately 7 times faster.

Case description

One of the effects of generalized tooth wear is less or no tooth structure visible when smiling. Since smile is a facial feature, the excessive use of the face muscles in the attempt to reveal more of the tooth structure caused more wrinkles, puffy/chubby cheeks, hence an aging effect. Tooth sensitivity and mild muscular tension were present as well.

We have designed the lost structure on all his teeth in cooperation with the dental laboratory. We have then tested our project intraorally with bonded prototype restorations. Once our project has passed the chewing & aesthetic & phonation test, we have predictably replicated the prototype into porcelain restorations. Smile design process has helped us integrate a facially balanced result.

The need of a night guard after finishing the treatment has to be discussed with us since the relationship between bruxism (teeth grinding) and dental wear has to be well diagnosed in the context of your own particular case.