Unlike most human cells, tooth enamel cannot regenerate itself. Therefore, to avoid dental issues, it’s very important to protect your tooth enamel as much as you can. In this article, we’ll tell you more about dental erosion.
Why Is My Tooth Enamel Wearing Down?
If you want to prevent your tooth enamel from fissuring or wearing down too fast, remember that some foods are not recommended, and that you should adopt good oral health habits on a day-to-day basis.
Enamel erosion occurs over the years, as you age. However, several factors can greatly accelerate the process, and we’ll describe them here.
We can put the regular consumption of acidic foods and beverages on top of the list. Without a doubt, it is one of the main reasons for the erosion of tooth enamel.
Coffee, soft drinks and fruit juices, to mention only those, are some of the common culprits. These beverages wear down tooth enamel and cause dental erosion in the long run.
Moreover, sweet foods that are consumed on a regular basis and in significant amounts are another factor that accelerates the wearing down of tooth enamel. For example, tiny pieces of candies and other sweets that stay between your teeth generate bacteria in your mouth. These bacteria, in turn, produce acids. As we already mentioned, acidic foods speed up the dental erosion process.
Finally, good oral hygiene is essential. If you don’t have a good oral hygiene, it’s almost certain that your tooth enamel will suffer.
Forgetting to floss, or not brushing your teeth at least twice a day is already enough to stain your tooth enamel.
For that matter, we recommend having an efficient toothbrush. Changing your toothbrush every season is a good habit to have to prevent dental erosion, among other problems.
How Do You Recognize Dental Erosion?
There are some telltale signs that can allow you to recognize dental erosion.
Without a doubt, the clearest sign is an increased tooth sensitivity to hot and cold. If your teeth are getting discoloured, or if you feel they’re becoming worn or cracked, that’s another sure sign that you’re seeing dental erosion. When dentine, the layer immediately underneath tooth enamel, becomes visible, your teeth will look yellow. This indicates that the enamel of one or several teeth are affected.
Finally, if you notice fine cracks or small cavities on the surface of your teeth, that’s also generally a sign that your tooth enamel is deteriorating.
Anyone can easily read these signs, and an appointment at the dentist is necessary to see what can be done.
How To Protect Your Teeth?
You can stop the deterioration of your tooth enamel by making some changes in your habits, namely at the level of your diet. It’s often said that it takes 21 days to change your habits. With that in mind, the following pieces of advice should work wonders. Here’s a little list of habits you can change to protect your teeth.
First of all, think of reducing your consumption of soft drinks and sweet foods.
Avoid snacking on candies and other sweet foods between meals. If you do have those snacks, then remember to brush your teeth more often.
In addition, we recommend flossing daily and using a toothbrush with soft bristles. You should also use toothpaste with a good amount of fluoride.
If tooth enamel erosion is too far advanced, your dentist might suggest a treatment with composite resin, to protect your teeth.
They can also suggest ceramic veneers, to cover the front surface of your teeth. This treatment is often proposed when dental erosion is more severe.
Using the following graph, let’s review what you need to do to prevent dental erosion:
During your next visit, don’t hesitate to ask questions about dental erosion. Take advantage of our professional team! Make an appointment at the Centre Dentaire & d’Implantologie Boucherville today.