THIS IS a new word for you today – mamelon.
Actually it’s ‘’nipple’’ in French. Don’t ask me how it got to be used in dentistry.
A mamelon does appear as the rounded bump on the edge of a tooth. So maybe that’s the French connection.
Mamelons appear on some teeth that have just broken through the gumline. They appear like ‘’waves’’ on the edge of teeth.
Trivia: there are just three mamelons on each tooth.
A mamelon is made of enamel just like the rest of the tooth’s outer cover.
Mamelons appear on the permanent teeth of children and, circumstances dictate, of adults as well.
Mamelons usually appear on permanent (adult) incisors or the front teeth used to bite, food or otherwise. To have that proper bite, people are endowed with eight incisors, four in the upper middle of the mouth and four in the lower middle.
Don’t take incisors lightly. At the front and center stage of the mouth, they are what people see when you talk. It is also significant that incisors make up most of your pearly white smile.
Mamelons also appear on primary (baby) incisors.
It is speculated that mamelons help teeth break through gums. Beyond this, they really have no clinical significance.
Mamelons really don’t get in the way of your chewing ability. Nor for that matter your dental health. Or even your facial appearance. So why get rid of them at all?
It’s for esthetic reasons that some people want to get rid of them.
There may be no need for dental procedures to get rid of the nipples. Sorry, the mamelons. As we grow older, and as the upper and lower front teeth get in touch more frequently when chewing, the mamelons are leveled down, so to speak. They are smoothed over naturally.
Dental procedures may be necessary when teeth are misaligned. That happens when the front teeth don’t overlap and get in contact as they should. The mamelons don’t wear out and remain through adulthood.
If you must, dentists can level the edges of the teeth and get rid of mamelons painlessly using a dental drill, file or disc. Because mamelons are made of enamel and have no nerves, the procedure is painless – and relatively fast. Just like after every dental cleaning, one can go home right away without a fuss.
It is part of cosmetic dentistry known as teeth reshaping or recontouring. Or call it cosmetic teeth contouring.
Cosmetic contouring doesn’t require an after-procedure attention so it is affordable.
You must know that removal is permanent as mamelons don’t grow back.
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Dr. Joseph D. Lim is the former Associate Dean of the UE College of Dentistry, former Dean of the College of Dentistry, National University, past president and honorary fellow of the Asian Oral Implant Academy, and honorary fellow of the Japan College of Oral Implantologists. Honorary Life Member of Thai Association of Dental Implantology. For questions on dental health, e-mail jdlim2008@gmail.com or text 0917-8591515./PN
