A recent case study of Mrs Middlefell’s

This patient came to see me unhappy with her smile.

For most of her initial consultation with myself, she covered her mouth with her hand.

She wasn’t especially aware she was doing it- it had become an unconscious habit as she was embarrassed by her teeth.

What had happened?

Over the years, this patient had gradually worn down her teeth to about half their normal size. Tooth wear can happen for a number of reasons- grinding/clenching your teeth, acidic diet etc

If left, it can become severe like in this patient’s case.

What did we do?

The patient wanted her smile back so we decided to whiten her teeth initially and then build her teeth back up to a normal height using a tooth coloured filling material.

Her final stage of treatment is to wear a ‘night guard’ which will protect all the work on her mouth. As the name suggests, she wears this guard at night- it’s like a very small clear gumshield over her lower teeth.

All the work we did is reversible and non-destructive.

How long will it last?

It will need repair now and again but as long as the patient wears her night guard and visits both the dentist and hygienist regularly, it should last indefinitely.

The patient no longer hides her smile with her hand!