Ideally, each of your teeth is designed to meet at a correct and healthy angle with its partners in your dentition. This gives you the ability to efficiently bite, chew, and grind the foods you eat. Sometimes minor imperfections in the alignment of two or more teeth can cause a problem.
In some of these cases, the teeth might meet up at an angle that slowly causes excess wear and tear to one of the dental surfaces. This condition, which is known as dental attrition, can gradually erode an area of tooth enamel.
When this happens, the compromised surface could cause heightened sensitivity, or promote a severe cavity to develop. A severe case of dental attrition can also increase your chances of suffering a dental fracture.
In a case of minor dental attrition, Dr. Scott Healey might be able to remedy the problem by performing a dental contouring at his Lindon, Utah clinic. This is a simple treatment where Dr. Scott Healey will carefully use a dental drill and other special tools to remove a minute amount of tooth enamel from the offending tooth.
This will make a minor change in the way the two teeth meet to reduce the excess wear and tear. If the area of attrition has significantly compromised a tooth, Dr. Scott Healey might also recommend repairing it with a dental filling or dental crown.
If you are in the Lindon, Utah, area and you are concerned about the integrity of one of your teeth, you should call 801.653.0099 to have it examined and treated at Scott M. Healey Dentistry.
