Avoiding Tooth Enamel Damage

Keeping this protective layer in good condition is important for healthy teeth

Our tooth enamel not only gives teeth an attractive shiny look in many cases, but is also very important in protecting the inner part of the tooth. It is a very hard material although one that can still be damaged if we don’t take precautions. Naturally, some things like accidents can still damage the tooth enamel and there is often little that we can do about that. General damage though, is often avoidable and in today’s blog, we take a look at how patients of our Burton dental clinic can help to ensure that their enamel stays strong and healthy.

First of all .. the basics

Before we take a look at specific things that can be harmful to tooth enamel, it is a good time to remind patients that good general care also needs to be taken. This includes regular brushing and flossing, and also seeing a dentist for a check up every six months or so. If you are currently without a dentist, please call us on 01283 845345 to register and arrange your appointment.

Having established that regular care, both at home and at your Burton dentists, is essential, let us take a look at some of the specific things that can damage tooth enamel and which will hopefully help you to avoid this problem.

Acidic food and drinks

As we have mentioned previously, drinking products such as high sugar fizzy drinks, whether a well known commercial brand or those promoted as sports or energy drinks, can be really harmful to our teeth. Many of these are not only high in sugar but are acidic too. The fact that this washes over our teeth as we drink means that the hard enamel can soften and start to wear away. While the occasional drink may not be too harmful, regular consumption could soon lead to problems such as sensitive teeth and tooth decay. Try to drink water as much as you can. As you will see later, this will be beneficial as well as quenching your thirst.

Teeth grinding

One of the most difficult issues to stop when it comes to damaging teeth is teeth grinding. Patients of SG Dental and Implant Clinic that do this may well suffer from levels of stress as this is one of the main reasons for it. Often this is an ongoing issue that may take time to resolve. As tooth grinding, or bruxism, usually occurs when we sleep, it is almost impossible to stop by willpower alone. Mouthguards can be effective though won’t reduce the cause of the stress. Taking time to find ways to relax is probably a good place to start whether this is through yoga, relaxation techniques or even going for walks in nature.

Stomach acid

Whether you suffer from acid reflux or perhaps from regular vomiting through illnesses such as bulimia, the risk to your teeth is very high due to the strength of our stomach acid which is approximately on par with the acidity of vinegar. While our teeth may recover from a brief period of vomiting when we are ill, ongoing contact with stomach acid will be highly damaging to our teeth and help from your GP should be sought if this is the case in your situation.

Dehydration

Being dehydrated means that we produce less saliva. Not only is it well documented that this increases the risk of gum disease but it also means that the acids in our mouths are not being neutralised by salvia as they would be if we were sufficiently well hydrated. Make sure to drink plenty of water each day. Not only is this generally good for your health, but will help to protect your teeth as well.

Using teeth as tools

Please don’t use your teeth as tools. Far too many people use them to open crisp packets, remove clothing tags and even to open bottles! The latter especially is incredibly stupid and can result in severe damage to the teeth as well as risking lacerations of the face and even eye damage. Simply never do this. While some enamel damage might be restorable with porcelain teeth veneers, more serious damage may result in major damage and even possible tooth loss. Even something as seemingly harmless as crisp packets can damage the teeth as they slip off the material and clash together, sometimes chipping them in the process. Please use scissors or bottle openers; it’s what they were made for.

Overbrushing

We encourage patients of SG Dental and Implant Centre to brush their teeth well and this is essential for good oral health. It is possible though to brush them too often or too hard. This can wear down the tooth enamel and expose the softer dentin beneath it. We recommend that you discuss your brushing regimen with the hygienist who will be able to recommend the best type of toothbrush for your own needs and explain in detail the best way to brush them.

Abrasive whitening toothpastes

It might be tempting to buy teeth whitening toothpastes in the hope that it will improve your smile. The reality though is these are limited in the amount of the active whitening ingredient that they can include and results are likely to be disappointing. More worryingly though, some of these may contain additional abrasive ingredients to remove surface staining, and, while it may help to do this, it can also be really damaging to the enamel. If you are concerned about having stained or discoloured teeth, please discuss this with us. It may well be that a straightforward and safe teeth whitening procedure could give you the smile you are looking for.

We hope that today’s blog has given you (non sugary) food for thought and that you might consider changes that you can make to avoid this problem. If you would like any further advice or would like to make an appointment to see a dentist at our Burton practice, please call us today on 01283 845345.