In order to maintain healthy teeth, it is useful to understand the component parts of the human tooth and the roles that they perform. Below, Mike Allen looks at two of these; what they are, the roles they play and problems that can occur with them.<\/p>\n
Enamel<\/strong><\/p>\n The enamel is probably the most well known part of the tooth. It is the hard exterior that we (hopefully) brush on a daily basis. Its key role is protecting the softer inner part, the dentin layer, which we will discuss shortly. By keeping the enamel of our teeth strong and healthy<\/a>, we significantly reduce the risk of dental problems occurring. It is also a relatively non porous material, although not entirely, and surface staining can occur if the ‘wrong’ foods and drinks are consumed.<\/p>\n Once enamel has broken or even chipped or cracked, it may no longer effectively protect the more vulnerable components of the inner part of the tooth and therefore, good cleaning, including brushing and flossing, is essential. Regular visits to Mike Allen\u2019s Dental Practice in Burton will also enable us to examine your teeth for any signs of damage and restore these to help protect your teeth.<\/p>\n Dentine<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The dentine layer of the tooth is the one directly below the enamel. It is a softer material and significantly more porous, allowing messages to be sent to the nerves. This enables us to feel the actions of our teeth when we bite, and also sensations when we eat or drink very hot or cold foods. Whilst this may not appear to be always a good thing, especially when it causes sensitivity, it also protects us from damage through biting down too hard on hard objects. Without these sensations, it would be much easier to break a tooth, for example.<\/p>\n Unlike the enamel, dentin is a yellow colour. This darkens as we get older and, whilst people may sometimes feel that their teeth are stained, it is often the darker yellow of the dentine showing through. For this reason, even a thorough surface cleaning of the teeth may only show a mild improvement. To restore the whiteness of the teeth, the dentine layer needs to be whitened, and this can only be done with a professional teeth whitening procedure. The porous nature of the dentine layer also means that, once exposed, the soft pulp layer underneath it can more easily become infected. This part of the tooth contains the nerves and can cause severe pain when infected, so a root canal procedure is usually necessary, if this happens, in order to save the tooth.<\/p>\n Ultimately, keeping the enamel layer of our teeth healthy and clean is the best way to avoid dental problems such as toothache or root canal infections. When these do occur though, you can be sure that, as one of the oldest dental practices in Burton<\/a>, we are here to take good care of you.<\/p>\n For any dental enquiries, or to make an appointment at Mike Allen\u2019s Dental Practice, please call us on 01283 845345<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Understanding these two important components of a tooth. In order to maintain healthy teeth, it is useful to understand the component parts of the human tooth and the roles that they perform. Below, Mike Allen looks at two of these; …<\/p>\n