What Now?

November 8, 2011

You’ve identified that your teeth are shorter than they should be. You know that your wear is greater than normal, and you have found the cause of your bruxism and believe to have the situation under control.

Will your teeth grow back now? Will the length of your front teeth increase to a more appropriate dimension? Are you cured?

The answers are NO and YES.

No, the teeth chips and length do not grow back on their own. And no, you are not cured. You may be under control, and that is the best we can obtain.

Yes, the missing edges can be recreated by your dentist. Your dentist may also be able to increase the length of the teeth. And yes, he or she can help to control the situation so no further pain is felt or wear occurs.

The dental treatment options may include:

Precision bite analysis to determine how the upper and lower teeth strike each other.
Orthodontics to move teeth into better alignment and then a lifetime of retainers to keep the teeth in the new position without relapse.
Splint, biteguard, or nightguard therapy to keep the teeth apart all the time or just at night, and to relax the jaw muscles.
Occlusal adjustment of the teeth to allow the uppers and lowers to meet without interference.
Instant orthodontics to move teeth into better alignment without moving the roots.
The edges of the chipped teeth can be filled in with tooth colored composite resin (bonding) or with porcelain that will actually strengthen the teeth (porcelain laminate veneers or porcelain crowns).
Length can be added with porcelain.
A combination of some or all of the above.