Ideally, each of your teeth should meet with its partner in your bite pattern to maximize the relationship between both occlusal surfaces. This helps you bite, chew, and break down food for safe swallowing…
Ideally, each of your teeth should meet with its partner in your bite pattern to maximize the relationship between both occlusal surfaces. This helps you bite, chew, and break down food for safe swallowing. Yet as you age, minute changes in the structure of your jaw can start to affect the alignment of your dentition. This is even more likely to occur if you’ve lost a tooth to untreated tooth decay or a severe dental trauma.
As time goes on, this minor deviation with your teeth can cause the occlusal surface of one tooth to gradually wear on the surface of another tooth. If an area of dental attrition spreads throughout the tooth enamel layer, it can cause significant problems with the tooth.
If it’s caught early, Dr. Thi Hoang might be able to repair the area of dental attrition with a dental filling made from composite resin. This may be able to prevent bacteria from infiltrating the compromised tooth enamel and restoring the strength of the tooth.
A composite dental filling is essentially a special type of dental plastic that can be perfectly shaded to match the remaining tooth enamel. This type of dental material is often the preferred choice for repairing an area of enamel attrition that appears in your smile.
If necessary, Dr. Thi Hoang might also perform a minor dental contouring to slightly alter the biting surface of the offending tooth. This involves using a special dental drill to remove a minute amount of tooth enamel. If you live in Livermore, California, area and you suspect an area of dental attrition has started to develop on one of your teeth, you should call 925.449.7900 to have it treated and examined by the dental care specialists at Las Positas Family Dental.