Tooth filing: everything you need to know about dental stripping

Let's be honest, we've all dreamed of having a smile like those of the actors and actresses in the toothpaste commercials!

Nowadays, this dream can become a reality thanks to the many techniques that exist in the field of orthodontics. Among them is the filing of teeth. That's what we'll talk about in the following article.

What is dental filing?

” Dental filing “, ” dental remodeling “or ” dental stripping “All of these names refer to the ” Interproximal amelioration “This is an orthodontic technique that consists of modifying the dimensions or shape of the teeth by slightly reducing the thickness of the dental enamel through instrumental or manual filing.

What is it that drives people to get their teeth filed?

To file the teeth is considered in the majority of cases for aesthetic purposes, but can sometimes be indicated as treatment in certain situations, we list below the most frequent indications of this technique:

• The dento-dental disharmony (DDD), that is to say the lack of harmony concerning the shape or the size of the teeth as for example: too long upper central incisors (commonly called “rabbit teeth”), too pointed teeth, a disproportion between the high and low parts of the teeth…
• The dento-maxillary disharmony (DDM), that is to say when there is not enough space in the jaw to allow a correct alignment of all the teeth causing an overlapping of the latter,
• The black triangle, when a void is formed (generally between the 2 upper central incisors due to the absence of gum tissue at this location) forming an unsightly black shadow,
• Bruxism is the scientific name for “teeth grinding”,
• Before the installation of a crown or a dental appliance,
• Broken tooth(s) due to an accident

There are still other indications for dental stripping, in all cases only the practitioner (dentist or orthodontist) is able to propose it after having precisely evaluated the benefit-risk balance, because yes, this technique involves certain risks that we will talk about below in the article!

By the way, if you suffer from bruxism, and wish to prevent teeth grinding during your nights, we recommend the product Domalium which is on sale on amazon :

How does a dental stripping procedure work?

To get your teeth filed, you need to go to an orthodontist's office. This will follow the following steps:

• First he will make a panoramic dental radiography in order to determine precisely the maximum thickness of the enamel that can be filed, it is generally between 0.1 and 0.5 mm. It differs from one person to another, but it is always done at the expense of areas of enamel that deteriorate naturally,
• The operation is performed without anesthesia, but rest assured that tooth enamel is a non-nervous tissue, so you will not feel any pain,
• The actual filing, in this step the orthodontist can use either a diamond bur or disc (mechanical technique), or increasingly fine abrasive papers or a dental file called “strip” (manual technique).

The total duration of the operation varies according to the quantity ofenamel to be filed, generally about fifteen minutes are sufficient. After the stripping, it is necessary to adopt some hygienic and dietary rules to avoid certain complications.

What are the hygienic and dietary measures to adopt after having your teeth filed?

After dental stripping, the following rules must be observed:

• Use toothpastes rich in fluoride (the majority of toothpastes on the market are rich in fluoride), which helps to strengthen tooth enamel,
• Increase the number of times you brush your teeth, ideally after each meal,
• Use dental floss, interdental brushes and tongue cleaners more frequently,
• Have a balanced diet (do not force on sweets…).

In general, it is necessary to reinforce oral hygiene measures after a stripping, because the reduction of the dental enamel, which is a very important protective layer, weakens the tooth and makes it more vulnerable to cavities.

What are the benefits of filing your teeth?

The main benefit of dental stripping is that it allows us to remedy the problems of overlapping teeth (dento-maxillary disharmony) without resorting to a dental extraction, which is more cumbersome and invasive.

On the other hand, this technique is ideal to solve a small detail of your teeth such as ” rabbit teeth ” which is not a problem in itself but can be a source of complex and the fact of correcting it allows you to feel better in your skin!

Generally speaking, dental stripping brings harmony to the teeth and beautifies smiles, all without undergoing an invasive surgical procedure and source of complications.

Are there any risks associated with this technique?

Now that you know what dental stripping is and how it works, we'll move on to the less fun part, where we list the possible risks involved in this technique.

First of all, it is important to remember that this is an irreversible procedure! Indeed, once filed, a tooth will never return to its initial shape naturally. It is thus necessary to think carefully before launching out…

Secondly, it is important to know that the fact of reducing the thickness of the dental enamel increases the risk of caries This is why it is important to strictly apply the hygienic and dietary measures mentioned above.

Furthermore, we notice that teeth that have been stripped have a greater tendency to yellow and to show stains.

Other effects of dental filing can be observed such as increased sensitivity of the teeth to hot and cold.

Finally, dental stripping can lead to the devitalization of the filed tooth! This is the most serious complication of this technique. It is however quite rare and is mostly the result of sloppy work or lack of experience of the practitioner.

Conclusion

The most important thing to remember from this article is that dental stripping is an orthodontic technique used to harmonize the smile and make it more beautiful , but it is not without side effects.

It is a technique that must be performed by a professional, because it is done according to a very rigorous and extremely precise protocol (precision of the order of a tenth of a millimeter) so you should never file your teeth yourself at the risk of damaging them!

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