Fixing The Ridges On Your Front Teeth

Health & Medical Blog

Children often have ridged bumps on their teeth when they first grow in, but what can you do when those bumps never go away? Known as mamelons, these ridges are the result of natural tooth formation, but they can also be distracting and unappealing in an adult mouth. Persistent mamelons are usually the result of an underlying condition that either fails to naturally erode your teeth or wears them down too much. Thankfully, if you are self-conscious about the ridges on your teeth, there are options you can take to have them removed and their causal problem fixed. 

Filing Down Mamelons

Mamelons occur because your teeth develop in stages. Three separate buds develop beneath the gum line, eventually fusing together and forming a complete tooth. The remains of these three parts of a young tooth poke up at the top, creating the mamelons seen in children and certain adults. Typically, these are worn away within a few years, but if not, they can easily be filed down manually. A cosmetic dentist should be able to grind them down within a single session. You may, however, want to take a little extra time to investigate why you still have mamelons and explore your options. 

Preventing Acid Erosion of Teeth

In some cases, you may not actually have your original mamelons. Gastric acids and other powerful corrosives wear away at your tooth enamel over time, stripping it away in ridged patterns that can mimic mamelons. People who consume a lot of carbonated drinks or suffer from a gastric condition like GERD are especially prone to this. Seeking treatment to regulate and control your gastric acid production can slow down the erosion of your teeth, but the most noticeable difference may come from cutting down on sugars and other highly acidic foods. 

Correcting Underlying Bite Issues

More commonly, patients who still have their mamelons have simply never had the chance to wear them down. Children with misaligned bites, or a malocclusion, never close their mouths entirely, resting with their teeth overlapping instead of on top of each other. Malocclusions are linked to a whole host of side-effects such as neck pain and headaches, and they can also make you appear years older than you really are. Talk to your cosmetic dentist about using orthodontics or other treatment plans to correct your bite, which should take care of your mamelons naturally while also improving your appearance and overall health.

Visit David Jackson, DDS for more information and options.

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