Enamel Erosion Symptoms, Causes, And Prevention.

Do you know that your teeth have a durable layer of armor? Yes, it’s the tooth enamel. This portion of the tooth has an important job to protect the inners of the tooth. However, sometimes our diets and habits endanger the enamel coating. The erosion of enamel leads to some problems that can make your life miserable. Consequently, it would help if you tried to protect your enamel at all costs. Hence, let’s discuss some signs and causes of enamel erosion and how you can prevent it.

Enamel Erosion Symptoms:

When your enamel starts to erode, your mouth is at its heel, trying to warn you about the situation. Therefore, pay attention to these symptoms:

Increased Sensitivity: Enamel erosion exposes the dentin underneath. As a result, your tooth will become more sensitive to taste and temperature.
Discoloration: The exposed dentin has a yellowish color. Thus, you can feel a yellowish tinge in your tooth appearance.

Cracks And Chips: With the depletion of hard enamel covering, the tooth starts to lose its strength and smoothness. Hence, you can sense this deviation in the form of rough edges and small cracks. Furthermore, as the erosion progresses, your tooth can undergo further degradation in the form of fractures.

Enamel Erosion Causes:

The sturdy enamel is something that stands the test of time. However, these agents in our diet and habit can truly test enamel’s mettle:

• Acid:

Acidic food and drinks react with the enamel’s structure and dissolve it with time. Acid reflux can cause a similar reaction.

• Dry Mouth:

Low saliva production leaves enamel more vulnerable to the surrounding.

• Bruxism:

The habit of grinding teeth often triggers during the night.

• Starchy And Sugary Food:

Excess starch and sugar in the leftover clinging in-between your teeth provide nutrients for enamel eroding bacteria.

Prevention:

Enamel erosion is irreversible. Hence, the best course of action is prevention.

• Try to exclude highly sugary and acidic food from your diet. Rinse your mouth after having such foods. Plus, when you eat something with acid, have them with your meals. In this way, you can go easy on your enamel.
• You can drink milk after an acidic intake, as milk can neutralize the acidic remains lingering in your mouth.
• Try to drink more water if you suffer from a dry mouth or low saliva production. Even visit your dentist if this problem becomes severe.
• Use fluoride toothpaste as fluoride can help strengthen enamel.
• You can use a straw to gulp in fizzy drinks; thus, you can avoid the drink’s contact with the teeth.
• If you suffer from bruxism, try to seek remedies or dental therapy.
• Try to make a habit of chewing sugar-free gums between meals, as it can promote saliva production.

However, if enamel erosion has reached an extent that will cause you severe disruption, you should visit a dentist. Often, dentists will treat you with a therapy called bonding. Therefore, opt for regular checkups at Bayside Dental And Orthodontics to avoid such complications. You can contact us at 979-330-4113 for more information.