If the damage is serious enough, you may require a veneer or crown. However, even with these more invasive procedures there are still risks involved that should not be ignored. It is best to leave dental care up to a professional every six months or so. In addition to filing and shaving your teeth, other common oral hygiene practices that individuals engage in include: brushing, flossing, and using an acid to remove stains from the surface of the tooth (not recommended for those who suffer from asthma or other respiratory conditions). It is important to understand that although home dental care can be done safely with proper precautions, it is still considered out-of-scope by most insurance companies. This means that if you do choose to file or shave your teeth you will have to cover it yourself. You could probably get away with brushing and flossing once a month but anything more than that and you're going to need to find a dentist who will see you on a regular basis.