I have these notches on the tops of her teeth by the gumline. I was told it is because I brush too hard. I’d like to make my teeth more attractive and am considering covering them with porcelain veneers. Will they work in a case such as mine?
Emily
Dear Emily,
The notches on your teeth can be beautifully masked by porcelain veneers when done by a skilled cosmetic dentist. However, before you take that step, I’d like you to get to the bottom of the cause of the notches first.
While it used to be thought those were caused by brushing too hard, we now think that in the majority of cases they are actually caused by Bruxism. This is when a patient clenches or grinds their teeth repetitively.
There should be other evidence of this, such as jaw pain, headaches, and the wearing down of your teeth. Your dentist should be making you aware of such things in order to protect your teeth.
Without precautions being taken you can not only develop severe TMJ Disorder, but wear your teeth completely down to nubs requiring them all to be crowned.
Protection from Bruxism
While you may think will power and a change of habits is enough to stop the damage, most people don’t even realize they’re doing it because it happens most often while they’re asleep. There is not much determination can do about that.
One simple solution is for your dentist to make a custom-fitted mouth guard. This will protect your teeth from any clenching or grinding while you are not fully cognizant.
You’ll want to make sure this is dealt with before getting porcelain veneers. The grinding can damage the veneers as much as your natural teeth. You don’t want to invest all that money in a gorgeous smile only to sabatoge it.
This blog is brought to you by La Jolla Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Stephen Doan.