What Causes Short Teeth?
Short teeth, called microdontia, can cause problems beyond those of aesthetics. Some people have a genetic predisposition to short teeth or teeth may wear down overtime. Short teeth can cause problems with eating and speaking and lead to a bad bite.
Types of Microdontia
Patients with genetic disorders like pituitary dwarfism or Down’s syndrome often have a type of microdontia called “truly generalized microdontia". This form is when all of a person’s teeth are abnormally small and is the rarest form of microdontia and can also affect a child that has undergone chemotherapy or radiation during tooth development.
Another type of short teeth is called "relative generalized microdontia" which is where someone does not actually have small teeth but in comparison to a larger jaw, the teeth appear smaller.
Lastly, “localized microdontia” is when only one or two teeth are affected, often an upper lateral incisor or third molar. Localized microdontia is the most common.
Additional Causes of Short Teeth
Wear and tear on the teeth can cause them to shorten overtime. There are different types of dental wear that cause the teeth to shorten, the two most common being erosive wear and abrasive wear.
Erosive where happens when teeth are regularly exposed to acidic substances like stomach acid, excessive use of alcohol, or excessive vomiting due to bulimia, pregnancy, or alcohol. As the enamel layer wears away, erosive substances have access to the underlying dentin which wears faster than enamel and can make your teeth very sensitive and painful.
Abrasive where occurs when undue physical pressure is applied to the teeth. Bruxism is the unconscious clenching and grinding that often occurs during sleep. Bruxism can wear away the teeth very quickly but a night guard can help protect your teeth while you sleep. Crooked teeth and uneven bite force can accelerate the wear of certain teeth, causing them to be shorter than surrounding teeth.
Treating Short Teeth
It is important to determine the underlying cause of your short teeth before restorative treatment. If there are factors that you can control causing you to have short teeth, that needs to be addressed or else your dental restorations will not be successful. Patients with genetically short teeth have great success with restorative treatments!
There are a few restorative options available to patients looking to lengthen their teeth! Dental bonding, porcelain veneers or crowns, and gum surgery are all great options with excellent results.
Composite bonding can be used to add length and improve the appearance of your teeth. Bonding conserves more tooth structure than porcelain restorations but are also less durable and will need to be repaired and replaced every now and then.
Porcelain restorations such as veneers and crowns are an excellent choice for a long-term solution. A small amount of tooth structure is removed before the porcelain restoration is placed so veneers and crowns are considered to be a permanent restoration.
Veneers are wafer-thin porcelain that are placed on the front surface of the teeth that show when you smile. Crowns cover the entire exposed surface of the tooth (above the gum line) and are often used on back teeth that take a lot of abuse during eating.
If you have short teeth that make you self conscious about your smile, speak with your dentist to see what treatment might be best for you.