My teeth are constantly chipping away. What are my options from preventing further damage to my teeth?

If you don't trust your dentist, you should go get a second opinion or even a third opinion. I think you will find in the second and third opinions that they will tend to point out things that your first dentist has noticed. I find that my profession is very compassionate about patients and the treatment that they need. We always want what's best for our patients and you have probably been given good advice already. Teeth that are crowded will cause wear and chipping and Orthodontics is not done just for aesthetic reasons. A nice Fringe benefit of orthodontic therapy is that the smile will look better; however, we first want the teeth to function properly. When they don't, breakage is very common. Once orthodontic therapy is complete, the broken teeth can be restored and there is much less chance of further breakage because they now fit together properly. To be brutally honest with you, it is quite possible that if you had proceeded with the orthodontic therapy when your dentist originally recommended it, you would not have chiped and broken your teeth as much as you say you have over the years since. Studies have shown that a majority of the adult population grind their teeth. Most of this happens while sleeping and patients who do this are not aware of it. You may be one of these who do grind their teeth, and this also weakens the teeth causing fracturing, wear and chipping of the teeth. We dentists are here too examine, diagnose and treat. I think that if you're open too trusting a dentist and understand that we are here to help you, you will have better success and a lifetime of a healthy and attractive smile.Douglas Jopling,  DDS Dallas,  Texas area

Hi Eugenie from Ottawa!  If you are not happy with your current dentist and you are not happy with his recommendation of orthodontics, then your best alternative is too see at least two other dentists in your area and see what they have to say.  Usually most dentists offer complimentary consultations.  I would suggest you have your bite checked.  Sometimes we do not think we grind our teeth and usually we grind because the bite if off.  You are obviously unhappy with your current dentist, so I would suggest you see two other dentists in your area. If orthodontics would fix this and they all agree you will have your answer, but I would have my bite checked first!  Good luck and hope you find someone who you are comfortable with  who can help you!

Dear eugenie, The first thing that I would
recommend is to find another dentist that you trust. Second, it sounds like you
have occlusal or bite issues. I would suggest seeking an opinion of a
prosthodontist, who would be able to find the underlying cause of your problem
and treat the disease and not the symptoms.

Some of the causes of chipping away from dental structure could be related to loss of posterior teeth, the crowding of teeth, and problems with the enamel or dentin of your teeth. The best solution would be to visit your general dentist to get a complete evaluation as to what would be the best solution to your case (may be crowns, composite restorations, etc). Thank you for your question and best of luck!