Attrition — grinding and clenching
Tooth rubbing on tooth, often at night and often unnoticed. It leaves flat, shiny facets on biting edges, chipped front teeth and short, even-looking teeth. Stress and some sleep disorders make it worse.
Grinding, erosion & short teeth
Worn Teeth Treatment in Dubai
Worn teeth are a sign that something is removing enamel faster than normal. Treatment starts by finding and stopping that cause, then rebuilds only as much as the teeth need.
- Cause diagnosed before rebuilding
- Night guards made for grinders
- Restorations made in our own lab
The first visit records how and why the teeth are wearing. Nothing irreversible is done on the day.
Stop the wear firstRebuilding teeth without protecting them only moves the damage.
Quick answer
How are worn teeth treated?
Worn teeth are treated in two stages: first the cause is identified and controlled — a night guard for grinding, diet or reflux changes for acid erosion, a softer brushing technique for abrasion — then lost tooth structure is rebuilt with bonding, crowns or veneers as needed. At Creative Arts in Dubai, severe wear that has shortened the bite may need a planned full mouth rehabilitation.
27 yearsIn-house dental laboratory in the same building
Written planItemised treatment plan before you commit
Open daily10:00–20:00, seven days a week
Jumeirah 3614 Jumeira St, Umm Suqeim 1, Dubai
Causes
What wears teeth down?
Dentists group tooth wear into three types. Most people with visible wear have more than one.
Erosion — acid
Acid softens enamel chemically. Sources include fizzy and sports drinks, citrus, vinegar, frequent sipping of wine, and stomach acid from reflux or repeated vomiting. It causes smooth, cupped surfaces and thin, see-through edges.
Abrasion — brushing and habits
Hard brushing, abrasive toothpaste, and habits such as biting pens or nails wear notches, usually near the gumline where enamel is thinnest.
Combined wear
Acid softens enamel and grinding then removes it faster. This is why brushing straight after acidic drinks is discouraged — waiting about an hour lets enamel reharden.
When to act
Which signs of tooth wear need attention soon?
Wear is usually slow, but it does not reverse. These signs suggest it is progressing.
Early wear — protect and monitor
- Small flat facets on the canines or biting edges
- Mild sensitivity to cold that comes and goes
- Slight yellowing where thin enamel lets dentine show through
- A partner noticing grinding noises at night
Book an assessment
- Front teeth that look noticeably shorter than they used to
- Chipping, cracking or fillings that keep breaking
- Jaw pain, morning headaches or clicking — ask about a TMJ assessment
- Lasting pain, or a tooth that aches on biting — see toothache
- Facial swelling with difficulty breathing or swallowing, or fever with spreading swelling: go to a hospital emergency department immediately
Treatment options
Worn teeth treatment options, from conservative to complex
The options build on each other. Almost every plan starts with the first row, whatever comes after it.
| Option | When it fits | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Control the cause | Every case. Diet and reflux advice (medical review if reflux is suspected), gentler brushing, fluoride toothpaste. | No visible change to the teeth, but without it any restoration wears or fails early. |
| Night guard | Grinding or clenching. A custom-made guard worn at night takes the wear instead of the teeth. | Must be worn consistently; it protects but does not rebuild what is already lost. |
| Bonding build-ups | Mild to moderate wear on front edges or small areas. Composite bonding adds resin with little or no drilling. | Resin wears and chips faster than ceramic, especially in grinders; expect maintenance. |
| Crowns | Back teeth that have lost cusps or height, or teeth weakened by large fillings. See dental crowns. | More durable, but a crown removes more tooth than bonding. Made in the lab, so at least two visits. |
| Porcelain veneers | Front teeth with worn or chipped edges where the back teeth and bite are stable. See veneers. | Needs some enamel preparation; heavy grinders must wear a guard or the ceramic may chip. |
| Full mouth rehabilitation | Severe wear where the bite has collapsed and teeth have shortened throughout. Planned through prosthodontics. | Restores height across many teeth in stages, often trialled with temporaries first. The most time and investment. |
Wear often looks like a cosmetic problem, so veneers are frequently offered first. They only suit a minority of worn mouths; the bite decides.
Severe wear
When worn teeth need the bite rebuilt
When teeth wear evenly over years, the jaws gradually close further together. Simply lengthening the front teeth then leaves no room for them, and they chip. Restoring severe wear means deciding a new, slightly more open bite and rebuilding to it.
- Test first: the new bite is usually trialled with bonded composite or temporaries before any ceramic is made.
- Staged work: back teeth and front teeth are often restored in phases.
- Protection: a night guard is part of the plan, not an optional extra.
If you have jaw pain, the joint is assessed before the bite is changed.
Real case
Worn front teeth restored at Creative Arts
Unretouched photographs of a patient treated at our clinic. Results depend on the case.
Individual results vary. Photographs are shown with patient consent.
Your appointment
What happens at a worn teeth assessment?
Wear is easier to treat once it has been measured, so the first visit is mostly about records.
History
Diet, drinks, reflux, sleep, stress and grinding habits — the clues to which type of wear you have.
Visit 1Examination and scan
Wear patterns, bite, jaw joints and muscles are checked, and a 3D scan gives a baseline to compare against later.
Visit 1Written plan
An itemised plan sets out protection first, then any rebuilding, with alternatives and costs.
Before treatmentProtect, then restore
A night guard or cause control starts first; restorations follow in the order the plan sets.
Following visits
Who treats you
Who treats worn teeth here
Restorative dentists who plan rebuilding, with a specialist orthodontist for jaw-joint and bite assessment.
Patient questions
Frequently asked questions
Can worn enamel grow back?
No. Enamel does not regenerate once it is lost. Fluoride toothpaste can harden the surface that remains and reduce sensitivity, but lost tooth structure can only be replaced with a restoration. That is why stopping the cause early matters more than anything else.
How do I know if I grind my teeth?
Many people don't. Common signs are flat, shiny edges on the teeth, chipped front teeth, aching jaw muscles or headaches on waking, and a partner hearing grinding. A dentist can usually confirm it from the wear pattern on your teeth.
Are veneers a good fix for worn teeth?
Sometimes. Veneers suit worn front edges when the back teeth and bite are stable and grinding is controlled with a guard. If the whole bite has shortened, veneers alone tend to chip, and crowns or a planned rehabilitation are more appropriate.
Does acid reflux damage teeth?
It can. Stomach acid is strong enough to erode enamel, typically on the inner surfaces of the upper teeth. If your dentist sees this pattern, it is worth discussing reflux with your doctor. Rinsing with water after an episode and waiting before brushing helps protect enamel.
Is a night guard the same as a sports mouthguard?
No. A night guard for grinding is usually thin, hard acrylic made from a scan of your teeth, adjusted so the teeth meet evenly on it. A sports guard is soft and bulky and is designed to absorb impact, not the grinding forces that happen during sleep.
Can worn teeth cause sensitivity or pain?
Yes. As enamel thins, the dentine underneath is exposed and can react to cold, sweet or acidic foods. Deep wear can eventually reach the nerve. Lasting pain or pain on biting should be examined promptly.
What is tooth erosion?
Erosion is enamel dissolved by acid — from fizzy drinks, citrus, frequent sipping, or stomach acid with reflux or vomiting. It shows as smooth, glassy, cupped or thin, translucent edges. Stopping the acid exposure comes first; worn areas are then repaired with bonding, crowns or a planned rebuild only where needed.
Keep exploring
Related treatments
RehabilitationProsthodontics & full mouth rehabilitationPlanning restorations when many teeth or the bite need rebuilding.Jaw jointTMJ assessmentWhen jaw pain, clicking or clenching accompany tooth wear.CrownsDental crownsProtecting back teeth that have lost height or cusps.BondingComposite bondingAdding back worn edges with little or no drilling.ConditionChipped or broken toothWhat to do when a tooth chips or cracks.TreatmentFull mouth rehabilitationRebuilding a worn bite as one plan.ConditionSensitive teethWhy worn teeth react to cold, and what helps.ConditionTeeth grindingNight guards and repairing grinding damage.
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Tell us what you would like to change. The clinic replies within working hours with an appointment time.
- Address614 Jumeira St, Jumeirah 3, Umm Suqeim 1, Dubai
- Opening hoursClinic open daily, 10:00–20:00
- Phone+971 4 342 4444 · WhatsApp +971 56 677 7537
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