Smile Rehabilitation (Full Mouth Reconstruction)

One of the things we focus on at Woodyard Dental Care is the treatment of the worn dentition. Wear on patient’s teeth happens in one of three situations. One is when a patient’s bite is misaligned, and during normal function the teeth hit in a way that is damaging and not appropriate. This can lead to chipping and fractures that eventually end up with root canals or the loss of teeth.

In other situations, a patient may be grinding their teeth more than normal due to a condition called bruxism. This is when abnormal brain stimuli causes us to clench and grind our teeth against one another slowly wearing away tooth structure, much like a sanding block against a piece of wood. In this situation, the teeth wear more slowly without painful symptoms and the condition often goes untreated. When coupled with a diet high in acid (soft drinks, sports drinks) a great deal of damage can occur.

One of the situations we see more often today is when a patient is on medication for stress and anxiety. These medications have known side effects of Bruxism (tooth grinding). We often see these patients with GERD as well, and within a few years of time, a great deal of tooth loss can occur.

Besides the noticeable shortening of teeth, and chipped edges of teeth, other signs of wear and grinding are multiple fractured teeth, frequent headaches, cold-sensitive teeth, and teeth that are shifting or spreading apart.