A Case of Dental Abfraction Treated with Cosmetic Dental Bonding
There was a man named Kevin who came to the Cosmetic Dentistry Center. He was 38 years old, and complained that his teeth seemed unusually sensitive to cold. He explained that a few weeks prior to his appointment, he had been drinking iced tea, and had first noticed the condition at that time. Over the next several days, the pain became more noticeable. Now he was feeling pain just from breathing in cold air when he ran around Memorial Park in the mornings. His wife was concerned he might need a root canal, because she had heard him grinding his teeth in his sleep. Kevin was now worried that he might have an abscess forming. We reassured him this was probably not the case. His symptoms sounded much more like a case of dental abfraction than an infection of the nerve chamber.
Dental abfraction is often caused by Bruxism—the grinding of teeth in the sleep. Bruxism causes the teeth at or below the gumline to become notched. Heightened tooth sensitivity and discomfort result. Other conditions can also result, such as bicuspid drop-off, worn teeth becoming frayed around the edges, dentin becoming exposed, and gingival recession.
Mild cases of dental abfraction can be treated with topical treatments such as fluoride gel or Sensodyne toothpaste. Flexible trays, custom made to fit the mouth, can be used to apply these treatments for 20 minutes every day. More advanced cases need more aggressive forms of treatment. We did not know what Kevin would need until we examined his teeth more closely, and did a thorough check on his medical history.
When we accessed his records on our computer, we discovered that Kevin had been involved in a minor accident where he had been hit in the mouth by a falling object. He had gone to the emergency room and been treated with several stitches, but none of his teeth were knocked out. A few seemed a bit out of alignment, but nothing that made him consider cosmetic dentistry. Over time, however, biting down on teeth that were now misaligned had resulted in dental abfraction.
We discovered this when we took a close look at his mouth with our intraoral camera. This is one of the many advantages that patients get when they come to the Cosmetic Dentistry Center. The intraoral camera allows us to look at things such as dental abfraction, cracked teeth, and periodontal disease on a magnified, full-color monitor. In this instance, Kevin suffered from acute gum recession and dental abfraction below the receding gum line. This had exposed the roots of both teeth, which was causing Kevin to feel such painful sensitivity to cold. However, we had caught the condition in time before the roots began to die. We were able to treat Kevin with cosmetic dental bonding, and then have him use Sensodyne toothpaste to reverse the gum recession.
Kevin has since reported that all symptoms have since disappeared. If you are currently feeling an acute sensitivity to heat or cold, it may be because you too suffer from dental abfraction. Schedule an appointment with us today. The sooner you get treatment, the quicker and painless the treatment normally is.
Dental abfraction is often caused by Bruxism—the grinding of teeth in the sleep. Bruxism causes the teeth at or below the gumline to become notched. Heightened tooth sensitivity and discomfort result. Other conditions can also result, such as bicuspid drop-off, worn teeth becoming frayed around the edges, dentin becoming exposed, and gingival recession.
Mild cases of dental abfraction can be treated with topical treatments such as fluoride gel or Sensodyne toothpaste. Flexible trays, custom made to fit the mouth, can be used to apply these treatments for 20 minutes every day. More advanced cases need more aggressive forms of treatment. We did not know what Kevin would need until we examined his teeth more closely, and did a thorough check on his medical history.
When we accessed his records on our computer, we discovered that Kevin had been involved in a minor accident where he had been hit in the mouth by a falling object. He had gone to the emergency room and been treated with several stitches, but none of his teeth were knocked out. A few seemed a bit out of alignment, but nothing that made him consider cosmetic dentistry. Over time, however, biting down on teeth that were now misaligned had resulted in dental abfraction.
We discovered this when we took a close look at his mouth with our intraoral camera. This is one of the many advantages that patients get when they come to the Cosmetic Dentistry Center. The intraoral camera allows us to look at things such as dental abfraction, cracked teeth, and periodontal disease on a magnified, full-color monitor. In this instance, Kevin suffered from acute gum recession and dental abfraction below the receding gum line. This had exposed the roots of both teeth, which was causing Kevin to feel such painful sensitivity to cold. However, we had caught the condition in time before the roots began to die. We were able to treat Kevin with cosmetic dental bonding, and then have him use Sensodyne toothpaste to reverse the gum recession.
Kevin has since reported that all symptoms have since disappeared. If you are currently feeling an acute sensitivity to heat or cold, it may be because you too suffer from dental abfraction. Schedule an appointment with us today. The sooner you get treatment, the quicker and painless the treatment normally is.
Labels: Bruxism, cosmetic dental bonding, dental abfraction, Sensodyne Toothpaste
posted by Dental Expert at
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