Ideally, the biting surfaces of your teeth should meet in the correct order and relationship with their partners in your dentition. As you grow older genetic and environmental factors can gradually change the alignment of your teeth. This could also be related to a previous case of tooth loss.
This can potentially cause the biting surface of one or two teeth to rub on a different face of its partner in your bite pattern. If it’s not addressed and treated in a reasonable amount of time the compromised area of tooth enamel can gradually accumulate bacterial deposits. This can foster a severe cavity deep in the tooth.
Even if the tooth isn’t afflicted by tooth decay, the compromised structural integrity could increase the risk of suffering from tooth sensitivity or a severe dental fracture.
In some of these cases, Dr. BJ Showman might be able to treat a small area of dental attrition with a dental filling. However, a large area of dental attrition or a tooth that has developed a new cavity might require her to perform a dental crown restoration.
This will effectively replace the entire tooth enamel layer with a special dental material. Most dental crowns are made from either porcelain, gold, or an alloy of base metals.
Dr. BJ Showman might also edit the occlusal relationship between the dental crown and the related teeth in your bite pattern by performing a dental contouring treatment. This will involve removing a minuscule amount of tooth enamel to limit the contact with the offending tooth and the dental crown.
If you live in the Cleveland, Ohio, area and you suspect dental attrition has started to affect one of your teeth, you should call 216-241-4303 to have it examined and treated at Downtown Dental Associates. Â