Your teeth have an outer covering of tooth enamel, a tough, translucent substance protecting them from damage. Each day, your teeth have to work hard, biting and chewing and grinding up food. Healthy enamel helps protect against this wear and tear, but although tooth enamel is tough, it can become chipped, cracked and eroded. When tooth enamel does become damaged or eroded, you may notice your teeth feel more sensitive to hot and cold drinks and foods since these can penetrate your teeth more easily, reaching the tooth nerves right in the centre. Once tooth enamel becomes chipped, it cannot repair itself because the enamel isn’t living. Instead, you will need restorative dental treatment in Oshawa.
What Causes Tooth Enamel Erosion?
Tooth enamel erosion occurs when teeth are exposed to acids. Dental plaque is a sticky biofilm made up of bacteria and other substances, including food particles and saliva. It builds up over your tooth surfaces and around the gum line, and the bacteria in dental plaque change starchy foods into acid.
These acids erode tooth enamel by removing some minerals, including calcium and phosphorus, during a process called demineralization. Every time you have something sweet or starchy, the acidity levels in your mouth increase for at least half an hour afterwards. As acidity levels begin to reduce, some of these minerals are redeposited back into your tooth enamel during a process called remineralization. However, over time repeated exposure to acids causes the enamel to wear down, creating pits and eventually tooth decay in Whitby.
You are more at risk of tooth enamel erosion if you have a diet high in sugars and starches or consume many soft drinks or fruit juice. People with dry mouth, a problem called xerostomia, are also more at risk as saliva is a protective fluid that helps wash away bacteria and normalizes acidity levels in your mouth more quickly.
Sometimes environmental causes can erode tooth enamel, and especially if you clench and grind your teeth, a problem called bruxism and which tends to occur during sleep. Another potential cause is abrasion, if you brush your teeth too hard, using a hard-bristled toothbrush, or if you tend to chew on hard objects like fingernails, pens or ice cubes.
What Are the Signs of Tooth Enamel Erosion?
One major sign of tooth enamel erosion is increased discomfort when you eat anything hot or cold, or this may even cause a twinge of pain. As your tooth enamel thins, it exposes more of the tooth’s natural colour in the dentin underneath, so your teeth may look more yellow than before. The biting edges of your teeth might start to look cracked and chipped, and worn.
How to Prevent Tooth Enamel Erosion
While some wear and tear is inevitable as you get older, you can protect your tooth enamel by properly caring for your teeth. It’s important to see our dentist for regular dental checkups in Ajax, and be sure to book a hygiene appointment that will remove all the hardened plaque, called calculus, from your teeth, getting rid of harmful bacteria.
It’s also worth looking at your dietary habits and making sure you don’t drink too many soft drinks and fruit juices that are naturally high in acid. When you have one of these beverages, try to include it as part of your main meal and rinse your mouth afterwards. Alternatively, use a reusable straw as this funnels the liquid to the back of your mouth, minimizing contact with your teeth. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush and wait at least half an hour to brush your teeth after eating. If you have bruxism, we can help treat this problem at Margolian Dentistry, providing a custom night splint for use during sleep.
