Nail-biting can take a serious toll on your teeth. Even with that knowledge, many people just can't stop themselves and then realize later on in life just what it's done to their teeth. If you've noticed that your teeth are uneven or one or more are visibly chipped from nail-biting, there's help for you. Here's how a cosmetic dentist can get your teeth back to normal.

Fillings

Fillings are often used for teeth with slight damage from nail-biting. This doesn't typically require drilling, because that's only done to clear away damaged tooth matter -- generally, a cavity. Since you don't have one, you don't need to worry about that.

Instead, what will happen is that filling material will be added to the end of your tooth where the damage is. Your dentist will gradually shape it and refine it so that it's the length of a full tooth, and will then make sure that all other damaged teeth are the same length and shape.

Veneers

Veneers are a good choice when the damage to your tooth has gone a little deeper. Veneers only go over the front of a tooth, not its entirety, but they can be very helpful for dealing with sensitivity issues and damaged enamel.

Dental veneers are just a small strip of porcelain that are shaped like a tooth. When enamel is damaged from nail-biting, they're a great fit, as the enamel is normally stripped away before a veneer is attached anyway. Then, once the veneer is on, you not only regain the appearance of a normal tooth, but you have protection from sensitivity issues and further damage to your teeth.

Crowns

Crowns are the choice when your teeth have been seriously damaged by nail-biting. This is typically if you have severe cracks or large amounts of your tooth missing from a very long period of time of regular nail-biting.

You probably already know about dental crowns; they're the porcelain, hollow, artificial teeth that can be placed on their own or over an existing tooth. In your case, they'd be put over your teeth to prevent them from hurting and to provide a solid surface for you to chew and bite. This should prevent any further sensitivity issues and will keep you from hurting your teeth even further, even if you continue to bite your nails.

Nail-biting can be a tough habit to fix, but repairing the damage that it can do doesn't have to be. Get in touch with a cosmetic dentist at a place like Pinon Hills Dental for more information.

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