How Can Sharp Teeth Become Even Sharper?
You should have 32 permanent teeth, but not everyone's 32 teeth are the same. There are slight differences in the height, width, color, and even the shape of individual teeth from person to person. Certain teeth are naturally sharper than others in your mouth, and your overall teeth may be sharper than someone else's. There's nothing unnatural about this, and it's just the way your teeth have developed. So why does it feel like your sharp teeth are becoming sharper?
Relatively Sharp
Numerous teeth in your mouth may be changing, but those that feel as though they're taking on a sharper edge could be those that were relatively sharp, to begin with—your canine teeth (also known as your cuspids). These teeth are naturally comparatively sharp, which demonstrates their role—to grip and tear food into smaller sections which can then be chewed (ground down) by your premolars and molars. But when these teeth begin to actually damage the soft tissues inside your mouth, it's a potential sign that they're becoming sharper.
Wear and Tear
If your teeth gradually begin to cut your tongue or the lining of your cheek while eating, something is clearly wrong. Dental wear and tear can slowly but surely change the upper outlines of your teeth. This is often most prominent on the tooth's biting surfaces, where this corrosion can exaggerate the tooth's existing outline. The flat biting surfaces of molars may become flatter as they're worn down, for example. So the pointed cusps of your canine teeth can slowly become sharper and may begin to cause more and more damage to the interior of your mouth.
Dental Enamel
These changes to the outlines of your teeth are not something you need to endure. It's time to make an appointment at your local dental clinic. Your dentist will closely inspect your teeth to gauge the degree of corrosion. This should still be limited to the tooth's enamel, which is its outer layer. If this enamel is still intact, the teeth are unlikely to need extensive repairs. A simple type of contouring should be sufficient.
Enamel Contouring
Your dentist will essentially shave your teeth, removing a fractional amount of dental enamel to smooth away the sharp edges that have developed. Your teeth will retain the same shape, so it's not as though your pointed cuspids will suddenly have curved tips. The difference will be minimal, and may not even be visible. You will, however, definitely feel the difference, as your contoured teeth will no longer lacerate the soft tissues inside your mouth.
Smoothing out sharp teeth is a minor procedure, but your dentist may want to have a word with you about your oral hygiene and dietary habits, just to make sure that any of these habits aren't accelerating the corrosion of your teeth.
Contact a local dental clinic to learn more.
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