When you're young, barring any injuries or defects to your smile, chances are all of your teeth are about the same length. However, once you get older, you might flash a smile in the mirror only to realize that some of your teeth appear to be shorter, or they may have visibly blunted and/or uneven edges. If you're wondering how this happened and what you can do about it, here's what you should know.
Wearing Down
Everyone experiences some level of wear and tear on their teeth over the years. Teeth are very strong, but that doesn't mean they're invulnerable and using them every day to chew, bite, and speak can cause them to get worn down.
Tooth enamel, the exterior layer of your teeth, is designed to protect the interior surfaces and takes the brunt of the damage and wear on your teeth. It's typically strong and can put up with a lot, but over the years, it can still wear down and become weakened or entirely lost. This process can be sped up or can become more likely if you engage in habits that can further damage your tooth enamel, like biting your nails, chewing on foreign objects like pens or toothpicks, or grinding your teeth.
Why You Don't Feel It
If you've ever had a cavity or another type of tooth injury, chances are you remember how much it hurt. So why wouldn't your teeth hurt if they've been getting worn down and lost their enamel? Basically, it has to do with the structure of your tooth and how pain is transmitted.
When you get a cavity, bacteria and plaque start to wear a hole in your tooth. Once the enamel is out of the way and the softer layers are accessible, that cavity tends to progress inwards, rather than expanding over the exterior of the tooth. It's these interior tissues where pain and problems start.
The interior of your tooth contains nerve endings that trigger pain if the area is damaged or impacted in some way. However, the enamel and exterior layers of your teeth don't have nerve endings. So in other words, if the enamel has been worn away and there's damage to some of the exterior layers of your teeth, you might not feel any pain despite the visible problems.
Getting Help
Once dental enamel is lost, it can't be restored, but it can be replaced with the next best thing. Visit any cosmetic dentist and you can find out more about what they can do for you. In general, this problem is usually resolved with dental bonding, crowns, or veneers, depending on the severity of the damage and the risk of further damage to your tooth. In any case, these are all painless processes that will leave your teeth looking as good as new, and will also reduce the risk of your tooth being further damaged.
To find out more, contact a representative like Thomas J Gilbert DDS PC / Royal Oak Dental.
Share30 March 2022
Do you remember the last time you looked at your smile and really loved what you saw? A few years ago I started spending more time analyzing my appearance, and I noticed that my teeth were seriously lacking. I knew that I had to do something to improve the situation, so I began focusing on loving my smile by getting some work done. I started talking with a dentist about how he could help, and it was really incredible to see the simple difference that he was able to make. Within a few years, my smile looked and felt completely different, and I was really pleased with the results. Check out this blog for great information on making your smile more beautiful.
