The process
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General dentistry · Tooth wear
Tooth wear, caught early
Tooth wear is the gradual loss of tooth surface from grinding, acid or abrasion, not from decay. It shows as flattened, shorter, chipped or sensitive teeth. We track it with digital scans compared over time, protect the teeth with a night guard where grinding is involved, and rebuild lost tooth with composite bonding or same-day ceramic restorations. Night guards from £395.
Assessment
£125
Night guards
From £395
Monitoring
Repeat digital scans
Clinical lead
Dr Amit Patel
Who it is for
Early signs of tooth wear
Flat, short or chipped edges
Front teeth that look shorter or squarer than they used to, with small chips along the edges, are a common first sign. Back teeth lose their peaks and become flat.
Sensitivity
As enamel thins, the dentine beneath it is exposed. Teeth can become sensitive to cold, sweet or acidic food and drink without any decay being present.
Teeth that look more yellow
Enamel is the pale outer layer of the tooth. As it thins, the darker dentine shows through, so teeth can look yellower even when they are perfectly clean.
A tired jaw in the morning
Clenching and grinding often happen during sleep. Waking with tight jaw muscles, or being told that you grind, suggests your teeth are carrying heavy loads at night.
The difference
Find the cause, then measure it
Attrition: tooth against tooth
Grinding and clenching wear the biting surfaces flat. It often happens during sleep or periods of concentration and pressure, and many people do not know they do it.
Erosion: acid
Acid softens enamel. The source may be diet, such as fruit, juices, fizzy drinks and wine, or stomach acid from reflux. Where reflux seems likely, we suggest you speak to your GP.
Abrasion: wear from outside
Brushing too hard, or with an abrasive toothpaste, can wear notches into the teeth near the gumline. A change of brush, pressure and technique usually stops it progressing.
Scans compared over time
We record your teeth with an iTero or Primescan scan, then repeat it later and compare the two. The comparison shows where tooth has been lost and how quickly.
01
Assess and record
We examine your teeth and bite, ask about diet, reflux and habits, and take a baseline digital scan and photographs. Most wear has more than one cause.
02
Deal with the cause
The advice is specific: what to change in your diet, how to brush and when a GP opinion on reflux is sensible. Without this step, any repair wears in the same way.
03
Protect
Where grinding is a factor, a custom night guard takes the load in place of your teeth. Guards are £395 for soft, £495 for combination and £895 for a balanced hard guard.
04
Rebuild where needed
Lost tooth is replaced additively with composite bonding, usually with little or no drilling. Heavily worn back teeth can be restored with ceramic onlays or crowns, milled on site the same day.
05
Monitor
We repeat the scan at review visits and compare it with the baseline. If the wear has stopped, we leave well alone. If it continues, we know early and can act.
Afterwards
Aftercare
Wear your night guard every night if one has been made, and bring it to your check-ups. After acidic food or drink, rinse with water and wait around an hour before brushing. Composite build-ups may need polishing or small repairs over the years. We rescan your teeth at review visits to confirm the wear has slowed or stopped.
Guide fees
New patient assessment£125
Soft night guard£395
Combination night guard£495
Balanced hard night guard£895
Same-day CEREC crownfrom £1,250
Guide fees. You receive a written plan with exact costs before treatment starts. See all fees
Common questions
Questions, answered
Can worn teeth be restored?+
Yes, in most cases. Composite bonding can rebuild worn edges and surfaces, and ceramic restorations can restore heavily worn back teeth. The cause needs to be controlled first, or the new work will wear too.
How much does tooth wear treatment cost?+
It starts with a new patient assessment at £125. Night guards are £395, £495 or £895 depending on the type. Restorative work is priced per tooth and set out in a written plan, with a same-day ceramic crown from £1,250.
Does enamel grow back?+
No. Enamel cannot regenerate once it is lost. Fluoride can strengthen the enamel that remains, and lost tooth structure can be replaced with composite or ceramic, which is why finding wear early matters.
Do I need a night guard?+
If your wear pattern points to grinding or clenching, a night guard is usually the first line of protection. It does not stop the habit, but it takes the load and the wear in place of your teeth. We recommend the type that suits your bite.
Does treatment for worn teeth hurt?+
Monitoring and night guards involve only scans. Additive composite bonding often needs little or no drilling, and sometimes no anaesthetic. For ceramic restorations the tooth is numbed first, so you should feel pressure but not pain.
Does stress cause tooth wear?+
Not directly, but clenching and grinding are more common during demanding periods. Long days at a desk also tend to come with frequent coffee, acidic drinks and snacks. Load and acid together wear teeth faster than either alone, and small changes to both make a real difference.
How do I know if my tooth wear is getting worse?+
It is hard to judge by eye, because wear is slow. Repeat digital scans, compared with a baseline, show whether tooth is still being lost and where. That tells us whether to keep monitoring or to protect and rebuild.