Visible changes
Teeth appear shorter, flatter, chipped or increasingly uneven.
Tooth wear & restorative dentistry
Restore Worn or Damaged Teeth.
Tooth wear can change comfort, function and confidence. Early assessment helps identify the causes, monitor progression and protect healthy tooth structure before extensive treatment becomes necessary.
Understanding the problem
Tooth Wear Has More Than One Cause.
Attrition may result from tooth-to-tooth contact associated with grinding or clenching. Erosion involves chemical loss of tooth structure, often from dietary or gastric acids. Abrasion and abfraction may also contribute to localised wear.
Jaw-joint or muscle symptoms can coexist with bruxism, but treatment depends on the individual diagnosis. Digital photographs and digital scans can create repeatable records to help monitor changes in tooth shape and wear progression over time.
What to consider
When Should Tooth Wear Be Assessed?
New sensitivity
Cold, heat or sweet foods have started to cause discomfort.
Repeated fractures
Fillings, crowns or tooth edges repeatedly fracture or fail.
Muscle fatigue
Jaw or facial muscles feel tired after grinding or clenching.
Functional impact
Changes affect eating, speech or confidence.
Progression
Your dentist has noticed ongoing or accelerating tooth wear.
Not all tooth wear requires extensive treatment. Early assessment can help identify contributing factors, monitor progression and prioritise prevention before restorative care is considered.
Your care
Conservative Care, Planned in Stages.
Assess
Record the pattern, severity, bite, symptoms and likely causes using examination, photographs and digital scans where appropriate.
Prevent
Address acid exposure, habits, oral health and protective strategies.
Test
Use monitoring, trial changes or provisional restorations where appropriate.
Restore
Bonding, onlays, crowns or veneers may be considered according to need.
Prevention & maintenance
Protect Teeth Before and After Treatment.
Prevention may include dietary advice, management of gastric acid exposure with the appropriate medical professional, fluoride strategies and monitoring.
A biteguard may be advised for grinding or clenching. Cosmetic and restorative cases commonly require professional maintenance every four to six months, adjusted to individual risk.
A clear next step
Begin With a Specialist Assessment.
Treatment recommendations follow careful diagnosis and a discussion of benefits, limitations, alternatives, timescale and maintenance.