As wear and tear continually affects your teeth, you can lose confidence in the beauty of your smile. Years of biting and chewing can cause some enamel erosion, but the effect from this activity can be relatively limited. However, for people who clench and grind their teeth at night or have softer enamel, erosion can be more pronounced. The damage can cause embarrassment by giving a more aged appearance. Your bite can become uneven and cause difficulty at mealtime. At your Ankeny, IA dentist’s office, we provide protection against further harm from bruxism (teeth grinding) and can discuss cosmetic solutions that restore the beauty of your smile.
Enamel Degradation Can Affect Your Appearance
The erosion of your enamel occurs over years and has an effect on your appearance, but an appropriate amount is expected at certain ages. When your enamel degrades more quickly, it can give you the look of a person much older. Poor oral hygiene and the inclusion of acidic foods and drinks in your diet can weaken your enamel. The tendency to grind and clench your teeth also causes excessive enamel erosion due to constant friction. There are also people who are born with naturally weaker enamel. We can identify the cause of your erosion and discuss procedures to provide both esthetic improvement and protect against future damage.
Wear A Nightly Guard To Prevent Bruxism
You can take steps to consciously reduce grinding and clenching your teeth during the day, but what can you do about the damage that happens at night while you sleep? Our team can recommend a custom appliance to protect your smile at night through placement of a plastic guard. Wearing a night guard reduces the friction from bruxism and can minimize aches and pains felt in your jaw each morning. This solution both prevents future physical damage to your teeth and can improve the quality of sleep you experience each night.
Cosmetic Solutions To Repair Your Smile
Through cosmetic dental work, we treat damage to your teeth that are chipped and cracked, worn down, or misshapen. We offer porcelain veneers that mimic the desired shape and size of a natural tooth. This solution can treat the yellowing shade of teeth from worn enamel as we select the material’s color as well. We also offer bonding and contouring services to optimize the shape and size of your teeth. Bonding applies a composite resin to build up the structure, while contouring allows us to gently sculpt the worn tooth into a desired shape.
Contact Your Ankeny, IA Dentist to Treat Dental Wear And Tear
Treating the clenching and grinding of your teeth can prevent future erosion of your enamel. We can address your issues with bruxism and offer esthetic services to improve the appearance of damaged teeth as well. For more information and to schedule a visit, contact your Ankeny, IA dentist at 515-207-6182. We also serve patients from Alleman, Elkhart, Bondurant, and any other surrounding community.
