Re: Abfractions - Common?

Chris wrote:
All,

I went to the dentist yesterday for my 6 month...Male, 31 years old.

I've been noticing gaps between my teeth and gums along my bottom gumline that I thought was normal recession...and decided to confirm with my dentist during the visit. He looked closer, and told me that I have some abfractions...probably because I clench my teeth.

I do clench my teeth sometimes, during stressful times....

He proposed making impressions of my teeth, studying my bite, then reshaping certain areas that didnt fit together properly. He also mentioned that this is relatively painless, and would make the teeth align more properly in case I did continue to clench. He would then restore the abfractions with resin...i should be good to go. I have noticed increased sensitivity in the past few years - I'm hoping that this might relieve that problem somewhat.

For those of you who are knowledable...is this common? Should he have noticed this sooner?

He made the comment yesterday that my teeth looked like they have worn, or aged, 15 years beyond my actual age. That really shocked me! I would have expected to hear about this sooner...but then again, I understand that I have to do my part with pointing things out, questions, etc.

Any thoughts on the treatment? Commonality of this? Is he steering me in the right direction?

Thanks!

Chris



If you have severe wear for your age, it is likely that clenching and/or grinding are causing damage. I'm not personally on the NTI bandwagon, but it's a fairly easy, relatively simple appliance to try.
Abfractions as a clinical entity are relatively recent. In my school days we usually chalked it up to toothbrush abrasion. While some cases it's not clear that abfraction is the cause of these wear areas, esp. in heavy clenchers it certainly SEEMS that the lesions are not always in areas you'd expect toothbrush abrasion. It is of course possible to have a combination of both mechanisms going on.
I agree that if your parafunction is causing damage it should be addressed. Deep abraded areas should be restored--I've seen some of these lesions proceed right into the pulp of the tooth. But small ones can be left alone, esp. if they don't seem to be advancing and there isn't significant sensitivity.

Steve

--
Mark & Steven Bornfeld DDS
http://www.dentaltwins.com
Brooklyn, NY
718-258-5001
.

Relevant Pages

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  • Re: Abfractions - Common?
    ... I went to the dentist yesterday for my 6 month...Male, ... I've been noticing gaps between my teeth and gums along my bottom gumline ... I do clench my teeth sometimes, ... You must address the cause of the abfraction which is clenching. ...
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