Filing Teeth

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#1 Post by **drazda** » Tue May 16, 2006 6:07 pm

How many of you guys have had your teeth filed? I heard someone say that having teeth filed can lead to sensitivity, is this true? I really want my teeth filed after I'm done with these braces, and I'm curious about others who have done it.

#2 Post by **NuckingFuts** » Tue May 16, 2006 10:23 pm

I was wondering about this too, I defnitely want my teeth filed when I'm done.

#3 Post by **Geri** » Wed May 17, 2006 6:47 am

Me too - because the top of some of my teeth are a bit jagged. Anyone out there had this done? I am concerned about damaging my enamal [sp?] and ending up with 'denture' looking teeth.

#4 Post by **blondie111** » Wed May 17, 2006 10:18 am

I just had my front two teeth filed when I got my braces put on. They were very "triangle" shaped, narrow at the top and wide at the bottom. They stuck out from the rest of my teeth, and my ortho said that when they were all aligned, there would be gaps in between my teeth at the top only because the bottoms were so big. So he filed the sides so they now look awesome!!

I have had no sensitivity issues with them. Granted, they are on the front teeth, and I don't use them to bite into many things, but no problems with cold or hot drinks either. They look natural, as he rounded the edges so there is no straight "cut" look. He used a tool that looked like a dremel tool (hope it wasn't!

). If I can figure out how to get pics posted, I could show you the difference.

Hope that helps a litte!

#5 Post by **KathleenH** » Wed May 17, 2006 10:27 am

I had one tooth filed. It had never been in line with my other teeth, so never wore down. Now it fits in with my other teeth, which do not look like dentures (granted, only one tooth was filed). I have had no problems with sensitivity, nor was the enamel damaged.

If you'd be happier with the look of filed teeth, do it.

#6 Post by **genxsis** » Wed May 17, 2006 10:52 am

Is having teeth filed the same thing as tooth shaping? My ortho said something about doing that with me next time I see him, but I thought I've heard that it means taking enamel off the tooth. That's something that I'm not too thrilled about. That's like damaging the tooth just to make it look better. I have enough damage already!

#7 Post by **rsprouse** » Wed May 17, 2006 11:10 am

genxsis wrote:Is having teeth filed the same thing as tooth shaping? My ortho said something about doing that with me next time I see him, but I thought I've heard that it means taking enamel off the tooth. That's something that I'm not too thrilled about. That's like damaging the tooth just to make it look better. I have enough damage already!

I will try and tie everything together from the thread. It sounds like there are two parties in this thread. The first is Inter-proximal Reduction (IPR). In this, a file or disc is used to remove the inter-proximal surface of the tooth (side that touches another tooth, where you floss). You should remove tooth structure uniformly for aesthetic purposes. This is typically used to create space to allow teeth to move (if less space is needed than for an extraction) or often times to help with the "black triangles" that some people have in between teeth. The black triangles are from lack of papilla. What the clinician is doing is shaping the contact point of the tooth lowering it closer to the gumline to allow for the tissue to heal into the space. Tissue can only grow reliably to a level of about 5 mm above the bone. This is why people with periodontal disease often have flat (rather than scalloped) tissue around their teeth.

Another reason to file is to cosmetically shape the teeth. This is typically done on anterior teeth on the incisal edge. The tooth is shaped to a more natural and aesthetic result. This is typically in a non-orthodontic instance and is to improve or change the look of the teeth.

You only have a finite layer of enamel on each tooth. Over time with use and abuse the enamel can wear away. Below enamel is dentin which is much thicker than enamel but is not as hard and is more porous than enamel. If you expose dentin you will most likely feel sensitivity to heat or cold and is a natural response of the nerve to stimulus. That being said, it is typically acceptable to remove 0.5 mm of enamel from a surface of a tooth to preserve a layer that will help protect the tooth. There are drawbacks and risks associated with removing enamel, but they are typically very minor and it is a common treatment option.

Hope that helps.

Best,
Rory

#8 Post by **Geri** » Wed May 17, 2006 12:45 pm

Thanks everyone, that has really put my mind at rest about IPR/shaping teeth. You are all a terrific support!

If I can get the shaping done with minimal (acceptable) damage to my enamel then that's terrific because it really would improve things cosmetically. My deep bite seems to have under-worn some teeth and over-worn others - hopefully these elastics I'm wearing will stop that from happening in the future.