Tooth Wear Treatment, Full Mouth Rehabilitation & Smile Design in Harold Wood, Romford
Tooth wear — teeth that have become shortened, chipped, flattened or discoloured through erosion, grinding or years of gradual damage — can be treated at any stage. At Fourways Dental Clinic in Harold Wood we plan a bespoke path for your mouth, from simple whitening and bonding through to full mouth rehabilitation for the most heavily worn cases.
What is tooth wear?
Tooth wear is the gradual loss of tooth structure from causes other than decay or injury — usually a mix of acid erosion (from diet or reflux), attrition (grinding and clenching), and abrasion (over-vigorous brushing). It builds slowly, so many people don't notice it until their teeth already look shorter, more see-through at the edges, or more yellow as the dentine beneath the enamel starts to show through.
Common signs of tooth wear
Sensitivity to hot, cold or sweet food and drink
Teeth that look shorter, flatter or more translucent at the edges
Chips or rough edges on the front teeth
A duller, more yellow appearance as enamel thins
Your bite feeling different, or teeth meeting unevenly
Waking with a sore jaw or headaches — often a sign of night-time grinding
How we treat tooth wear at Fourways
No two cases are the same, so we plan around how advanced the wear is and what your bite needs. As a guide:
Mild wear: often addressed with teeth whitening and composite bonding alone — brightening the smile and rebuilding chipped or thinned edges.
Moderate wear: usually whitening first, then aligning the bite with Invisalign or braces to create the right space and relationship between your teeth, followed by composite bonding to rebuild worn surfaces.
Severe wear (full mouth rehabilitation): everything above, plus — where wear is more advanced — further composite bonding or, more definitively, porcelain onlays, crowns and veneers to rebuild the bite and smile for lasting functional and aesthetic balance.
Full mouth rehabilitation — when it's needed
Occasionally, years of untreated wear, neglect or damage mean there's no realistic way to restore a healthy bite tooth by tooth — the whole dentition needs rebuilding from top to bottom. Sometimes called full mouth reconstruction, this is where planning matters most: every tooth, contact point and bite relationship is mapped before any treatment begins, so the end result works together, not just tooth by tooth. Done well, the result is a smile so natural-looking that friends will wonder why you can't stop smiling — not that anything has been "done" at all.
What to expect: your treatment journey
Assessment & planning — a thorough examination, photographs and X-rays (and study models or a digital scan for more complex cases) to understand exactly how your bite and teeth have changed.
Your bespoke plan — we map out which stage above applies to you, in what order, and give you a fixed, itemised quote before anything begins.
Treatment, stage by stage — from whitening and bonding through to alignment and, where needed, crowns, onlays or veneers — reviewed at every step.
Protecting your result — many patients, especially where grinding has played a part, finish with a custom bite guard to protect the new smile long-term.
How much does tooth wear treatment cost?
Because treatment is built around your individual case, we don't quote a single headline price — you'll receive a fixed, itemised quote after your assessment. As a guide, treatments commonly used within these plans include teeth whitening from £375, composite bonding from £305 per tooth, porcelain veneers from £825 per tooth, crowns and onlays from £647, Invisalign from £2,795 and braces from £2,295. A custom bite guard, often used to protect the result where grinding is a factor, starts from £140. Finance is available on treatment plans over £750, spread over 12 months to 5 years with Chrysalis Finance.
Why Fourways Dental Clinic?
Full mouth rehabilitation asks a lot of planning and precision — it's some of the most involved work we do. Our team has been rebuilding smiles in Harold Wood since 1946, with over 300 five-star reviews from patients across Essex.
Tooth wear FAQs
What causes tooth wear?
Most often a combination of acid erosion (diet, fizzy drinks or reflux), grinding or clenching, and over-vigorous brushing. Most people have more than one cause at once.
Can tooth wear be reversed?
The tooth structure itself can't grow back, but its appearance and function can be fully restored — from bonding and whitening for milder cases to crowns, onlays and veneers for more advanced wear.
Will I need a nightguard?
If grinding is contributing to your wear, we'll usually recommend a custom bite guard (from £140 or inlcuded as part of you treatment plan) to protect your teeth and any new restorations while you sleep.
Why isn't there a fixed price for full mouth rehabilitation?
Because every mouth is different — the number of teeth involved, the materials needed and the complexity of your bite all affect the plan. We give you a clear, fixed quote once we've assessed your case, so there are no surprises.
Is treatment painful?
Most stages, including bonding and whitening, are straightforward and comfortable. Where crowns, onlays or more extensive work are needed, we use local anaesthetic and talk you through what to expect at every stage.