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Den's Dental Blog

Hello! My name is Den. This blog is going to cover a range of dental topics. I am not a dentist or a dental nurse but I have recently undergone a lot of dental treatment. This treatment has given me a great insight into the world of dentistry and I would like to share everything I have learnt with you here. Last year, I developed terrible pain in my mouth. I was diagnosed with severe tooth decay. The dentist removed the problem teeth and then inserted false ones in their place. He also whitened my teeth to improve my smile. I hope you find my blog useful.

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4 Reasons Your Dentist Might Recommend Tooth Shaving

by Myrtle Banks

Tooth shaving is not a procedure many patients have heard about, but it can be recommended to fix certain issues. Otherwise known as tooth contouring, reshaping, or slenderizing, the technical term is enameloplasty. As the name suggests, it involves slightly reducing the size of your teeth. This will usually be done with either diamond-coated abrasive strips or a dental drill, and it's a process that can be completed quickly with relatively little discomfort.

Tooth shaving is not right for every patient, but there are several reasons to consider it. Here are just four common reasons tooth shaving is performed.

1. Remove Sharp Edges

The outer layer of your teeth is composed of enamel, and it's an extremely tough substance. However, it isn't impossible for minor chips to develop over time. These might not be noticeable enough to create aesthetic concerns, but even small chips can have sharp edges that can cut your tongue or inner cheeks. This tends to be a common problem if a tooth is chipped in an area your tongue usually rests against. Tooth shaving can remove those sharp edges.

2. Improve Your Appearance

In some cases, chips will be serious enough to impact your smile, so tooth shaving can sometimes be performed with cosmetic goals in mind. You may also choose to have one or two teeth reduced in order to ensure they fit in better with the rest of your teeth and create a more attractive smile. Such issues are often fixed using fitting veneers, but it's worth asking your dentist about tooth shaving since this is sometimes a better option.

3. Deal With Crowded Teeth

Tooth shaving is often recommended when teeth become too crowded. This might not seem like a serious problem, but crowded teeth can make it easier for food to get stuck and for plaque to develop, all while making it harder to properly brush and floss. You may also benefit from tooth shaving before going ahead with other procedures, such as fitting braces.

4. Fix a Bad Bite

The biting surfaces of your back teeth need to fit together when you bite down. If they do not, those surfaces can wear down faster than they should or even fracture. If the problem is allowed to persist, a bad bite may even lead to a temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction. Tooth shaving can provide a solution by reshaping the tops of your back teeth. Once this is done, your biting surfaces will be able to properly come together.

For more info about dentistry, contact a local professional. 

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