The Importance Of Healthy Tooth Enamel
Strong enamel is the front line defence to prevent numerous dental issues.
There are many excellent treatments available these days to restore damaged or problematic teeth. Natural looking fillings, crowns and root canal treatments can be used to help restore a tooth and, where a tooth is lost, dental implants offer an excellent solution for replacement.
While this is good news, it is far better if we can prevent these problems from occurring in the first place. The best way to do this is by keeping the enamel on our teeth strong and healthy and in today’s blog, the team at The Dental Centre Bedford offers sage advice.
What is tooth enamel?
The enamel of our teeth is the hard exterior that helps to protect the inner parts of the tooth where the nerves and soft pulp are located. It is very hard wearing but can still suffer from erosion or breakages if not looked after well. It is thickest at the biting edges and thinnest near the gums where less stress is placed upon it. Stronger than bone and with a smooth surface that helps to prevent bacteria build up, keeping it healthy is very important if we want to maintain strong and healthy teeth.
What can damage it?
Despite its strength, there is a limit to the stress it will withstand. While being more than adequate for everyday use; i.e. eating, if it is used for other purposes like opening bottles or even packets, it can become chipped and damaged. In addition to any aesthetic problems this might cause, any damage to the structure could lead to bacteria entering the inner part of the tooth. When this happens, tooth decay is likely to form, and potentially root canal infections too.
The other thing that threatens the enamel is erosion. This can occur in a number of ways including teeth grinding or even excessive brushing of the teeth. One of the most common ways it happens though is through the consumption of acidic food and drinks. Some of the worst of these are soft fizzy drinks that are not only high in sugar but acids too. This combination, when it comes into contact with the tooth, can cause significant harm to the enamel. As it gradually erodes, it leaves a rough surface and this means that bacteria can attach more easily and further deterioration can occur.
If you have noticed any sensitivity in your teeth or, on running your tongue on the surface, find that it is rough rather than smooth, this may be a sign that this process has started and you should contact The Dental Centre Bedford for an appointment to have your teeth checked.
Protecting the enamel
There are many things that you should avoid, or at least minimise, eating and drinking. As mentioned, one of the most important are the high sugar, high acid drinks. This includes not only general carbonated soft drinks but also those marketed as sports or energy drinks. These are often very high in these indeed.
Citric fruits will also have a similar effect and is one reason why drinking water with fresh lemon juice in it is not a great idea. It is also worth mentioning that when you do have anything like this that can affect your teeth, it is extra important that you leave at least half an hour before brushing your teeth. While it might seem sensible to brush them straight away to remove the acids, the reality is that the tooth enamel softens for a period of time before hardening again. Brushing too soon can cause erosion to occur.
While on the subject of brushing your teeth, do make sure not to ‘scrub’ them as this can wear the enamel down over a period of time. Just apply gentle pressure and brush them well for two minutes, focusing especially along the gum line, an area which is sometimes neglected and can also contribute to gum disease.
What can we do to help?
In addition to providing advice, it is important that patients attend their check ups every six months or so. If there is evidence of enamel erosion, we will be able to advise what you can do about it. If caught early, it may be possible to prevent or slow down any deterioration. If the damage is significant, there is a real threat to the tooth in the form of decay or root canal infections and action will need to be taken.
One of the best ways to protect teeth that have been affected in this way is to attach a porcelain dental veneer to the tooth. This often requires some preparatory dentistry to remove a fine layer from the front of the tooth and attach a custom veneer instead, essentially replacing the tooth enamel. This is an effective and long lasting way of protecting a tooth that has been compromised in this way.
If you would like more information about protecting the enamel on your teeth or about veneers for aesthetic and functional enhancement, please contact us to discuss by calling our Bedford dental clinic today on 01234 819868.