Tooth wear is one of the most prevalent dental conditions that we see in practice day to day. It would not be an exaggeration to say that almost 90% of adult patients suffer from some form of tooth wear albeit to varying degree of severity. Minor tooth wear can lead to issues such as sensitivity to hot and cold whereas severe tooth wear can impair everyday function of chewing and mastication. Severe tooth surface loss will also cause a reduction in the occlusal vertical dimension (OVD) which is a measurement from under the nose to the chin. This will lead to a change in the shape of ones facial structure which is not desirable. The good news is that there are a number of treatments available that are minimally invasive, pain free and far less costly than traditional methods of reconstruction.
 

Our case of the month for October involves composite bonding of the lower front teeth which were heavily worn and using a principle called the Dahl technique. This technique is not very well known but it is fantastic method for treating worn down teeth where there is no space to restore them. For example, when your front teeth wear down due to grinding, acid erosion, bad habits (biting pens, nails etc), there is often little space to restore the teeth using conventional fillings. In the old days, the teeth may have been cut down for invasive procedures such as crowns or veeners. The Dahl technique involves the careful restoration of the worn teeth directly or indirectly with little, if any, tooth preparation. This must be with precision so that the contact on the new restorations is in such a way that the unworn teeth can slowly re-position and make contact over time. Usually this takes 12-16 weeks to occur but what a concept! For example, just take a look at our case below:
 

Our case of the month for September is a classic cosmetic bonding case. For those of you that do not know about cosmetic bonding, it is a great technique to enhance a tooth with a completely NON-INVASIVE approach. Teeth can be lengthened, widened, repaired, made symmetrical and gaps closed with this wonderful technique. In virtually all cases, there is NO need for any drilling, any anaesthetic (no needles!) and no unnecessary removal of healthy tooth enamel. Our case shows a typical scenario where a tooth is worn and chipped. The procedure took just 45 minutes and just look at the difference.
 

Our case study is one involving cosmetic bonding of the front teeth. Cosmetic bonding is the NON INVASIVE answer to repair worn, fractured or spaced teeth. The technique requires no drilling, no needles and no pain! Our patient was unhappy about her front teeth due to the severe wear present at the edges. This was due to night time grinding, which is a very common problem. Dr Nissit Patel strongly believes in minimally invasive dentistry and therefore ruled out porcelain veneers or similar techniques which remove healthy tooth enamel. Cosmetic bonding was prescribed and the results can be seen below: