Have you noticed that your teeth are losing enamel? Many factors can contribute to this, including over-consumption of sugary and acidic foods and drinks.
Over-consumption of sugary and acidic foods and drinks causes enamel to wear down. Teeth lose enamel as acids build up. Acidic food and beverages damage the hard outer layer of teeth. A dry mouth can also cause enamel loss. Some medications contribute to dry mouth.
If you’re finding that your teeth are losing enamel, it’s essential to take action and find out why. Let’s explore some information on what causes tooth enamel loss so you can better understand how to prevent this from happening.
What is Tooth Enamel?
Teeth enamel is the outermost layer of your teeth. It’s the hard glossy material that makes up the majority of your teeth, giving them their pearly white color. The enamel helps protect your teeth from bacteria, food particles, and acidic compounds that cause tooth decay. Enamel also gives your teeth some physical strength. If enamel erodes or chips away, it exposes tooth dentin which is more easily decayed than enamel itself-which increases the risk of cavities. If enamel loss continues untreated while you’re still growing, it can make young people self-conscious about their appearance. There are several reasons why enamel loss happens to both children and adults alike, including the consumption of too many sugary foods or drinks.
How Can You Tell if Your Enamel is Wearing Off?
- Soreness in your teeth or gums; is caused by the enamel wearing away, which exposes sensitive dentin underneath. This can make eating and drinking painful.
- Increased sensitivity to hot foods; enamel is meant to act as a protective layer that shields the nerves in your teeth from feeling this sensation. When enamel wears away, you can start to feel this sensation more acutely.
- Increased pain after eating sugary foods; this is because enamel protects sugars like sucrose leaking into the sensitive dentin, which leads to tooth decay. When enamel wears away, you are susceptible to cavity formation.
- Discoloration, usually yellow or brown tones. Enamel protects your teeth from absorbing pigments. When enamel wears away, it no longer reflects these pigments, so they are absorbed into your enamel which causes enamel discoloration.
- You can tell your enamel is wearing off if your teeth are constantly breaking. This is because enamel protects from both physical trauma and acids in your mouth. When enamel wears away, you can start to experience enamel fractures.
- If you have crowns, caps, or veneers placed over enamel loss, your teeth can easily crack if the enamel has eroded.
- You may notice that your teeth are more sensitive to cold foods than they used to be; enamel provides some protection for your teeth against cold foods and drinks. With enamel erosion, you will become more sensitive to cold temperatures after eating cold foods.
- If you have polished or veneered teeth that are wearing away, then there is a chance that color change will occur without warning after polishing or veneering enamel. When enamel is worn away, the enamel underneath starts to show through, which can change your teeths color.
- If you have enamel loss from filling restorations, then your fillings may become loose or fall out entirely after they have been exposed to acids in your mouth and enamel fractures. Along with this, enamel wear can lead to changes in color on new crowns and bridges that were placed over enamel loss.
Can You Restore Tooth Enamel?
You cannot restore enamel once it has been lost. Instead, enamel loss should be treated with enamel-like surface treatments. Remineralization is when minerals, especially calcium, bond with tooth enamel and become more powerful than before. Calcium may attract other trace elements like magnesium so that all your teeth are better protected against dental erosion.
While this strategy cannot “rebuild” or restore damaged teeth to their original state, it does help strengthen weakened areas of decay-damaged substance on them through remineralization. If enamel loss results from enamel decay, then remineralization treatments will only be as effective as the restorations on those teeth. For best results, enamel-like surface treatments can be combined with other enamel repair strategies such as fluoride and tooth enamel repair kits.
How to Strengthen Tooth Enamel?
- Use fluoride. A cavity fighter with benefits that last a lifetime, fluoride can help strengthen your enamel and make teeth more resistant to acids. The ADA calls it “nature’s cavity fighter.”
- Reduce your intake of sugary foods and beverages. Sugar softens and wears away at teeth quickly; acidic drinks will do damage too but not quite as fast. A better choice when you need something refreshing is a glass of plain water with no added sugars or artificial flavors.
- Do not over-brush. It’s essential to brush your teeth for at least two minutes, but it is important to be mindful of the pressure you use to brush your teeth. Dentists recommend not to use a lot of pressure when brushing your teeth. Abrasive toothbrush bristles can wear down enamel overtime. Use a toothbrush with soft bristles upright against your teeth.
- Never rush through dentist appointment. they’re here to check up on us. When it comes time to get serious about fixing those cavities let your dentist do their job by getting rid of stubborn bacteria.
- Try not to grind your teeth. While we all do it sometimes (and even our dentists will), excessive grinding can wear down enamel and make teeth vulnerable to fractures. If you believe your enamel is cracking, schedule an appointment as soon as possible so they can repair what has been damaged and prevent anything further from taking hold.
- Schedule routine exams. If your enamel is cracking or you’re unhappy about its overall condition — it’s time to make an appointment with a dentist. This is not only the best way to prevent any further enamel loss but also address potential oral bacteria and other disorders that can harm your overall wellness (tooth decay, lingering breath odor, and gum disease).
- Keep an eye out for a dry mouth. A dry mouth is an essential indicator of enamel loss, so swallow some saliva and see how often you need to do it to get everything flowing again. Dry mouth can be caused by the weather (especially on cold winter days), overuse of drugs that cause dry mouth, or medications that can cause enamel problems like birth control patches or antidepressants.
- Consume enamel-protecting foods. Calcium is vital for strong, healthy teeth. If you don’t eat dairy products or if they’re not your preferred choice of calcium source—eaten in foods like milk and cheese can protect against scurvy-like symptoms that might occur without enough dietary intake through these sources.
- Treat acid reflux and food problems. If you have heartburn, stomach acids could make their way to your mouth and erode enamel. This is another reason why it’s crucial for people who experience this condition or any other kind of dental erosion (such as during bulimia) to receive treatment from a doctor right away.
What Can Dentists Do for Enamel Loss?
Dentists are equipped with enamel replacement materials, which they use to mimic the enamel that’s been lost. This is typically done with resin-based composites. If enamel loss is due to erosion or abrasion, then fluoride treatments can help prevent further enamel loss by strengthening the enamel that remains.
Antibacterial mouthwash may also be prescribed to keep bacteria at bay and slow any existing tooth decay. Enamel replacement procedures are temporary fixes for mild cases of enamel loss. To address moderate enamel loss, dentists have a variety of repair options including crowns, bridges, veneers, or even implants if more extensive enamel replacement is required (or gum therapy).
The enamel that coats your teeth is the hardest material in the body. Unfortunately, enamel loss due to tooth erosion is becoming more common than ever before because of our diet and lifestyle choices. By understanding enamel loss, its causes, and how it’s treated, you can get on track for strong enamel-and a healthy smile.
