Treatment

Tooth Wear

From £400

This pages talks you through the causes of tooth wear, the management options and what Eastdale Dental can do to help

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Process

Step by Step

Records and diagnosis
Photographs, study models, and radiographs. These form the baseline against which future change is measured, which is the only reliable way to establish whether wear is currently active. You receive a written report explaining what was found and why.
Stabilisation
Addressing the cause before rebuilding anything. Depending on the diagnosis that might mean dietary changes, a referral to your GP for suspected reflux, a change of brushing technique, high-fluoride toothpaste, or a protective splint for grinding. For some people this is the whole treatment.
Reconstruction, staged
Where teeth need rebuilding, this is usually done additively with composite, arch by arch or segment by segment. The bite is re-established at a comfortable height and tested before anything permanent is committed to. Ceramic is used selectively where composite is not appropriate.
Review and maintenance
Composite reconstructions need occasional polishing and repair, which is planned for from the outset rather than treated as a failure. Splints are checked. Photographs are repeated so progression can be monitored objectively.

Overview

Worn teeth can usually be rebuilt without cutting them down.

That single fact changes most tooth wear conversations. The traditional answer to worn teeth was to crown them, which meant removing more tissue from teeth that had already lost a great deal. Modern adhesive dentistry works the other way round — building the tooth back up with materials that bond to what remains, keeping your own enamel, and keeping every other option open for later.

It is slower and it takes more planning but it is also kinder to your teeth, and it means the decision you make now does not close off the decisions you might want to make in fifteen years.

Tooth Wear is nearly always a combination of processes, and identifying which one dominates is essential for treatment success.

Suitability

Who this treatment may suit

Your teeth look visibly shorter than they did in older photographs
Edges are chipping, or front teeth are becoming translucent
Fillings feel raised relative to the tooth around them
You have been told you grind, or wake with jaw tightness or headaches
You have diagnosed reflux, or frequent unexplained heartburn
A dentist has mentioned wear and you would like a fuller picture before committing
You are considering cosmetic work and want to know whether wear needs addressing first

Long-term care

Maintenance

Composite reconstructions need attention every few years — polishing, minor repair, occasional replacement of individual surfaces. That is normal, and part of why composite is chosen: it is straightforward to repair without cutting into the tooth.
Ceramic generally lasts longer between interventions but is less easily repaired; when it fails it usually needs replacing rather than patching.
The variable that matters most in both cases is whether the original cause has been controlled. This is the entire reason stabilisation comes before rebuilding, and it is where a well-planned reconstruction separates from one that simply looks good on the day it is fitted

FAQs

Common questions.

Is tooth wear always a problem?

No. Some wear is a normal consequence of ageing and needs nothing beyond recording. It matters when it is progressing quickly enough to threaten the teeth within your lifetime, or when it is causing sensitivity or appearance concerns you would like resolved.

Will composite look natural on worn teeth?

Composite layered by hand matches surrounding teeth closely, and on worn front edges the result is usually very good. It picks up stain over years more than ceramic and needs occasional polishing. Where the aesthetic demand is very high, ceramic may suit selected teeth better.

Will I need a night guard?

If grinding is contributing, very likely — to slow further wear and to protect any reconstruction. A splint is also sometimes used diagnostically before reconstruction, to test whether a changed bite height feels comfortable.

Why not just crown all the worn teeth?

Crowning removes tissue from teeth that have already lost a substantial amount, sometimes leaving very little sound tooth. Building up additively keeps more of your own tooth and keeps crowning available later if it ever becomes necessary.

Callback

Discuss tooth wear with the team.

Share what you are hoping to improve and the practice will help identify a sensible next step.

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Clinically reviewed by Dr Ahmed Jebril on 27 July 2026.