Teeth Grinding and Cosmetic Bonding, will it be successful?

Ideally, you can figure out the underlying reason for the severe wear.  If it is daytime function then then veneers will fail.  If it is night-time grinding an occlusal guard can protect them.

Hi:Normally in my experience with bonding its very difficult to predict the success with teeth grinders.  Best,Dr. Maddahi

jm8281,You ask a very good question.  So, the answer is "It depends".  Bonding will generally fail because of three reasons, Force/Bite issues, Acid, and Bacteria.  In your case force issues may be the biggest concern.  If you only grind or function on your front teeth at night, a nightgaurd or an orthotic may be the answer.  However, often, a dentist may not realize "how" you use your teeth to chew.  Many people do not grind their teeth at night, however they chew with their front teeth.  This is not how the mouth was designed to function, but individuals may do it for various reasons.  This is difficult for a dentist to determine.  One way to over come this for the dentist to study your occlusal patterns and do some testing.  Using a Tekscan in our office, we can often find and resolve bite issues but it may be tricky to find a dentist in your area that uses this technology.  Contacting the company might be the first step.  Another option is instead of using composite bonding or resin, find a dentist that is more comfortable with a harder porcelain material.  Emax is a beautiful restorative material that is several times more durable than bonding.  And, if your chewing patterns and bite are taken carefully into consideration, can be a long term solution for you.  It is generally more expensive than resin bonding, but has some distinct advantages unless cost is your biggest concern.  We have some information in our book that you might find useful before having the work done.  You can download the book by going to the website below.Best Regards,