Cosmetic Solutions for Acid Wear on Teeth

Acid damages the structural integrity of your teeth by dissolving the protective enamel and leaving the softer dentin exposed to decay. Stomach acid from gastric reflux or bulimia, sodas, fruit juices, wine, athletic juices and even sour candies introduce acid to your teeth. Brushing vigorously after exposure only worsens the damage. Fortunately, cosmetic dentistry offers several solutions for acid-damaged teeth and helps restore eroded enamel to a healthier appearance.

Tooth-Colored Fillings

• Tooth-colored fillings are available as composite resin, a plastic mixture, or porcelain inlays and onlays. For composite fillings, a dentist places the composite on the tooth in layers and shapes it to fit the tooth. For porcelain inlays, a dentist cleans away tooth decay and takes impressions of the teeth to be filled. The fillings are created from the impressions and bonded to the teeth.

Dental Bonding

• Dental bonding uses a composite material to reshape decayed teeth. According to Rochester Advanced Dentistry, the procedure is simple and requires little advanced preparation. A dentist roughens the tooth surface, applies the composite bonding, then shapes, hardens, trims and polishes the tooth. The bonding material comes in a variety of shades so it can be matched to an individual's natural tooth color.

Dental Implants

• If acid wear causes completely decayed or missing teeth, dental implants provide new, realistic and long-lasting replacement teeth. The implants come as a single tooth, multiple teeth or an entire mouth of teeth. A dentist places a screw and healing abutment into the bone. Three months later, once the bone has grown around the implant, a mold is taken for the crown. A third visit allows the dentist to screw or cement the crown onto the implant. Full dental implants may be done as several implants with dentures placed on top or as additional implants supporting porcelain bridges.