With so many advanced dentistry techniques seemingly becoming even more accessible, some of the more simpler procedures are perhaps becoming forgotten. It could be argued that teeth recontouring falls into this category and if you have a slightly damaged tooth, it’s something that should be considered over some of the more invasive procedures that are available.
If you were to ask what any dentist Fareham has to offer what the easiest way to ‘fix’ a deformed tooth is you’ll most certainly be providing with the recontouring answer. Strictly speaking, it’s referred to as odontoplasty or enameloplasty in the dentistry world, but the results are the same – it’s something that can act as a quick but efficient fix.
Considering the somewhat-unknown nature of teeth recontouring, we’ll now take a look at the procedure in complete detail through the course of this page.
Who is recontouring designed for?
As you may have already gathered, this is a procedure which is designed to fix minor problems with teeth. These could be anything from small chips which have occurred over time, right the way to smoothing out any other inconsistencies which are affecting their shape.
Something that few people know is that there is a general dental benefit from going through this procedure as well. Recontouring is something that can fix any overlaps which occur between teeth and ultimately, prevent plaque or tartar from building up in these areas.
Who should avoid recontouring?
If we look at individuals who shouldn’t consider the procedure meanwhile, this mainly involves people with significant imperfections. In other words, if the damage to your teeth is anything beyond minor, recontouring is something that should be avoided.
How does recontouring work?
Following the initial examination, whereby your dentist will firstly see if you are a suitable candidate for recontouring, the main procedure will start with small amounts of tooth enamel being removed. The dentist will rely on a sanding disc to achieve this, while some may also turn to sandpaper to smooth the side parts of the teeth.
After effectively ‘tidying up’ the teeth with this method, the final step of the process is to polish the teeth. Throughout the whole process, it would be exceptionally rare for a dentist to turn towards an anaesthetic. This is because the pulp of your teeth is not affected.
Are there any risks associated with recontouring?
For such a minor procedure, it probably goes without saying that the risks for recontouring are relatively low. In fact, the only thing that a dentist should be careful of is removing too much enamel. Enamel is a substance that cannot be replaced, meaning that great care must be taken to ensure that the remaining layer is not too thin. If this does occur, you may start to develop heightened sensitivity to colder conditions or through certain foods.
Of course, at the other end of the scale, it’s impossible to remove too little enamel. The only risk that this promotes is the teeth not being ‘smoothed out’ sufficiently.