Teeth filing - what is the procedure for and can it be done at home?

Date of publication: 09/28/2018

Tooth filing has been used in dentistry since the 19th century. At that time, the procedure helped treat caries by mechanically removing damaged tissue. Today the technique is used to eliminate other problems, mainly aesthetic ones.

For example, teeth can be filed if one or more units stand out from the general row due to their increased length. Filing can also help with small chips on the edges of the tooth.

In what cases is tooth filing used?

There are different opinions about the advisability of the procedure. It is mainly carried out in the following cases:

• When the upper incisors or canines stand out too much. This not only disrupts aesthetics, but can also interfere with proper bite. In this state of affairs, the teeth can be shortened a little so that they fit better into the dentition.
• If there are small chips on the edges of the teeth. A slight grinding of the enamel will help smooth out the edge.
• If there are sharp corners. Sometimes, due to anatomical features, the front teeth may have protruding parts. They may not look aesthetically pleasing or even damage the cheek.
• For orthodontic bite correction. Sometimes teeth are filed down on the sides to make it easier to move them into the correct position. This is important when installing braces if your teeth are very crowded.
• Filing down the front of the teeth is used when installing veneers. The teeth are also ground down before crowns are installed.

The advisability of filing is determined individually only at the appointment of a specialist.

Cases in which you can straighten teeth without braces

The braces system is the most effective, fastest and painless method for straightening crooked teeth, but many people refuse it for many reasons: they are embarrassed, afraid of discomfort or discomfort associated with eating or while talking.

But there are cases when a person can correct his bite without braces:

• Crooked teeth are only a couple of teeth, not an entire row, so there is no need to wear a complex system;
• The bite only slightly deviates from the norm, but if the bite is open, then braces are still necessary;
• A slight crooked tooth needs to be quickly corrected;
• A person with a “dental” problem is allergic to the metal components that are in braces;
• The gums are located too low, and there is a high probability of injuring them due to the locks of the brace system;
• The patient cannot or does not want to adhere to the rules of wearing and caring for braces;
• The patient wants to look perfect at work or in everyday life, so the use of braces in this case is excluded;
• The patient’s work involves clear and excellent diction (radio DJ, TV presenter, teacher), so he must refuse to wear braces.

Expert opinion

Roman Borisovich Alekperov

orthopedic dentist

Experience: 24 years

If there are indications for filing teeth, it is important to entrust this procedure to an experienced dentist who will correct the aesthetic defect and not cause harm to the teeth. Self-filing is impossible and extremely dangerous - you can seriously damage the tooth, and in the future you will have to resort to microprosthetics or crown prosthetics. There is also a high risk of injury to the mucous membrane and infection.

Contraindications

The necessity and admissibility of filing teeth is determined by the dentist individually in each case, since the procedure is quite labor-intensive and can be traumatic in some situations.

For this reason, sewing hard fabric is contraindicated in the following situations:

• increased abrasion of enamel;
• hyperesthesia;
• bruxism;
• presence of bad habits - frequent chewing of seeds and nuts, opening bottles with teeth;
• high risk of injury to the incisors, for example, boxing and other types of wrestling.

How is filing done?

The technology varies depending on the purpose for which the procedure is performed. The process includes a number of steps:

• - Diagnostics. The doctor determines which teeth will be filed and for what purpose. To do this, a visual inspection is carried out, the cause is studied, and the method of performing the procedure is determined.
• — The area in which manipulation is necessary is determined. For this, carbon paper, wax plates, and special aerosols can be used. This helps to highlight or color an area that, for example, prevents the jaws from closing properly. In difficult cases, a plaster model of the jaw can be made.
• If the procedure requires significant removal of hard tissue, anesthesia is performed.
• Sawing is done using a diamond bur. On chewing teeth, a small layer of enamel on the protruding tubercles can be filed away. If we are talking about incisors, the movements are multidirectional and depend on the situation.
• After the procedure, the surface that was manipulated is polished. Also, remineralizing substances can be applied to the surface of the teeth, as well as compositions to strengthen the surface and reduce sensitivity.

When filing teeth, the thickness of the enamel in the treated areas changes. This may cause increased sensitivity. Usually this is a temporary phenomenon and in the first days it is necessary to refrain from eating hot and cold foods so as not to provoke discomfort and pain. If the problem does not go away over time, you should consult a doctor.

Price

The cost of filing teeth depends on the reasons for which it is carried out and what result is needed to achieve:

• preparation for caries - from 200 to 350 rubles per row element;
• treatment of enamel after removing braces – 550-650 rubles;
• identification of traumatic occlusion and grinding of one tooth – 200-300 rubles;
• cutting down a tooth for a crown – 130-200 rubles;
• filing a molar under an orthodontic structure – 150-200 rubles.

Find out how teeth are prepared in the video.

Apple Vampire Fangs

To make vampire teeth at home, take a bowl, spoon and plastic chopsticks. You can also use ground plastic. Place the plastic in a medium-sized bowl and fill with boiling water. When the material begins to melt, carefully pick it up with a spoon so as not to get burned. Now the plastic has softened and is easy to change.

You can easily make vampire fangs with your own hands. Tear off a small piece of plastic and shape it into a sharp tooth shape. Now apply the wide end to the incisor tooth. For fastening, you can use cream for dentures “Korega”, “Protefix”, etc. Press down on the fang and wait.

You're not going to a vampire themed party or Halloween, but just want to scare someone? Then you won't need scary vampire fangs glued to your own teeth. After all, the scare scam will take you very little time, and walking around with a foreign body in your mouth is not very pleasant.

How to make vampire fangs without gluing them tightly? It's very simple, all you need is an ordinary apple! Only the fruit must be hard. Using a thin knife or an ink pen, you need to cut out two parts from the apple, close in size and shape to the cone. The parts just need to be put on your own teeth.

Fangs can also be made from cotton wool for a short time.

Take a cotton swab and carefully remove clumps of cotton from its ends. Place the cotton wool over your teeth and keep your mouth open. Saliva will quickly soak it.

You can also use a plastic fork for this purpose.

Trainers

Trainers are a special device for straightening teeth, resembling a mouthguard. This method is as effective as aligners, but more affordable.

The advantages of this method:

1. Can be used to straighten children's teeth;
2. It will not only help straighten your teeth, but also relieve problems such as pacifier or finger sucking, improper breathing or tongue positioning;
3. Helps straighten teeth for children and adults;
4. Does not require constant use, overnight is enough;
5. You can buy it yourself;
6. With the help of trainers, you can correct problems with diction, malocclusion and abnormal tooth growth;
7. Do not interfere with eating or talking;
8. Do not require special maintenance;
9. Low price.

Disadvantages of this method:

1. Long treatment period - from a year or longer;
2. At first wearing it causes discomfort;
3. There is a possibility of the mouthguard falling out during night wear.

To completely correct crooked teeth, you need to go through three stages of treatment. At the first stage, soft blue trays are used. They promote habituation and prepare the dentition for harder structures. At the last stage, the patient uses retainers (a device for preventing the curvature of teeth), which is worn only at night and is a metal case that is fixed in the palate of the mouth and remains practically invisible.

Is preparation always necessary?

The good news is that no, not always. If a minor correction of the defect is expected - for example, with the help of artistic restoration, then the dentist will simply limit himself to grinding. This will enhance the adhesion of the glue and material.

Dentists do not always treat enamel before fixing veneers[ii] - this has already been discussed earlier. No preparation is required when installing classic removable dentures, which are fixed to the supporting teeth using plastic or metal hooks. Teeth are also not injured when defects are replaced with implants - these are artificial analogues of roots, the installation of which in no way affects the position and condition of neighboring teeth. Even when you subsequently need to place a crown on top of the implant.

Important! It is necessary to understand that preparation will be required only if there is “something left” of the tooth. That is, if the top is destroyed at the root, there will be nothing to grind. In such situations, you need to build up the root - for example, using a pin or stump tab. And then fix the single prosthesis from above.

However, you still cannot do without the turning stage when installing a classic crown. Science has not yet come up with other ways to reliably fix such prostheses.

What is preparation

At its core, the preparation process involves removing part of the hard tissue. This layer, represented by enamel (the outer shell) and dentin (these are the internal tissues), must be equal to the thickness of the prosthesis. Armed with a bur, the doctor cuts off the excess and gives the crown the shape on which the prosthesis will easily and reliably fit. It is important to ensure maximum density and absolute accuracy of its fit. As a rule, the shape of a natural tooth is a cone or cylinder.

Relatively speaking, you will have to “cut off” the amount that is equal to the thickness of the prosthesis. For example, zirconium dioxide will require minimal grinding, but metal-ceramics (after all, there are both ceramics and metal) will require the removal of a thicker layer of living tissue.

Preparation is also carried out during filling, but in this case only inflamed tissues are removed, while healthy ones are preserved. If you need to install a prosthesis, even living tissue will have to be removed.

Treatment methods

Treatment of pathological tooth wear may include therapeutic and orthopedic techniques. In the first case, there are two options:

1. Drug therapy (includes the application of gels and solutions, the use of special toothpaste).
2. Restoration (special filling material is used).

Orthopedic treatment involves the manufacture and installation of onlays, dentures or crowns, which restore the normal appearance and functionality of teeth.

Currently, dentists do not agree on the timing of initiation and specific treatment methods in different situations. Most often, drug treatment is used in patients in the early stages of the disease, when the teeth are not yet seriously damaged. For more severe pathology, restorative and orthopedic treatment is indicated.

Aligners (aligners)

An aligner is a mouth guard made of silicone or soft plastic that exactly follows the contours of the teeth and works like a brace system, albeit slowly but effectively straightening the teeth. Despite the proven effectiveness of aligners, they are not used so often, mainly to correct bites.

The advantages of this method:

1. Almost invisible on the teeth;
2. Easy to remove while eating or brushing your teeth;
3. Does not cause discomfort;
4. There are no restrictions on food when wearing a mouth guard;
5. Does not cause pain when wearing;
6. You can treat “oral” problems while wearing a mouth guard;
7. Do not cause allergies;
8. Along with straightening, you can also whiten your teeth;
9. Has no contraindications.

Disadvantages of this method:

1. Not effective for complex problems;
2. High price;
3. Before eating, food must be removed prematurely and stored properly;
4. Long production time (mouthguards are often delivered from abroad).

In order to comprehensively straighten crooked teeth using a mouth guard, you need to go through several stages. First, the dentist takes impressions of the teeth and creates an electronic model. The same layout is necessary at intermediate stages of treatment, as well as at the end of the procedure. For the entire stage of treatment, you need several drops, which should be changed after 2-3 weeks, as prescribed by the doctor.

The patient should wear the mouth guard at least 22 hours a day and remove it only to eat and brush teeth. The duration of treatment is from 6 to 8 months, and in case of prophylaxis.