Dental attrition is a chronic condition caused by a misalignment between two or more teeth in your bite pattern. As time goes on the surface of one tooth can start to wear down and grind away at the tooth enamel of the other.
If it’s not addressed and treated in a reasonable amount of time the compromised area of tooth enamel can gradually accumulate bacterial deposits. This can foster a severe cavity deep in the tooth.
Even if tooth decay doesn’t occur, the compromised tooth could be at increased risk of suffering from tooth sensitivity. If the area of dental attrition grows large, the compromised dental structure could also increase the tooth’s chances of suffering a severe fracture.
With early diagnosis, Dr. Seth Rumley can sometimes treat a small area of dental attrition with a dental filling. Unfortunately, a large area of dental attrition or tooth decay might require him to treat the tooth with a dental crown restoration.
This will effectively replace the entire tooth enamel layer with a special dental material. Most dental crowns are made from either porcelain, gold, or an alloy of base metals.
Dr. Seth Rumley might also alter the relationship between the dental crown and the related teeth in your bite pattern. If he feels it is warranted, he might perform a dental contouring treatment to edit the contact with the offending tooth in your bite pattern.
If you live in the Raleigh, North Carolina, area and you suspect dental attrition has started to affect one of your teeth, you should call 919-847-8074 to have it examined and treated at Midtown Dental. Â