Preventing Tooth Enamel Erosion

What we can do to restore your teeth in Bedford if it’s already too late.

It’s nearing the time of the year when cold winds blow and some of us may start to experience teeth sensitivity as they meet the cool draughts of air. This can also happen ar any time of the year when we experience discomfort or pain as our teeth come into contact with hot or cold food or drink.

There are a few reasons why this might happen, including a cracked or decaying tooth, but increasingly commonly, worn down tooth enamel is the most likely cause. It doesn’t have to be this way and, with care, this problem can usually be avoided. If we maintain a healthy enamel surface on our teeth, it will help to prevent a number of dental issues and not only tooth sensitivity.

In today’s blog, we are going to look at some of the things you can do to keep your enamel strong and healthy and also discuss how we can help at The Dental Centre Bedford when prevention is too late.

Good oral health care

It should go without saying that looking after your teeth well is the first place to start. This means good quality brushing with a toothpaste that contains fluoride as this helps to strengthen enamel. Flossing too is important to reach areas that a toothbrush struggles to reach. You should also have your teeth examined by a dentist and cleaned by the hygienist at our top-rated Bedford dental clinic. If you do this, your enamel is off to a good start.

Let us look now at factors that can cause erosion

Bad brushing

Having said that brushing is essential, it is also very important that you don’t brush too hard. Using an electric toothbrush will help with this as many cut out if too much pressure is applied. If you brush your teeth too hard or ‘scrub’ them, you are likely to wear away the surface prematurely, often leading to tooth sensitivity.

Vomiting

If we vomit occasionally when ill, permanent damage is unlikely, but if you suffer from vomiting often, such as during pregnancy or due to bulimia, the risk of damage is heightened. Vomit includes acids from the stomach which are highly damaging and can cause significant harm to your teeth. Obviously, pregnancy lasts for a long time and bulimia is a complicated issue. Do talk to us if you are either pregnant or suffer from bulimia so that we can discuss the best way to prevent damage to the enamel.

Bruxism

Bruxism or teeth grinding causes damage as the teeth grind together, usually during sleep. Breakages can also occur but enamel erosion is one of the most common types of damage that it causes. While good oral health care will certainly help, it might be necessary to wear a mouth guard while you sleep until the issue has been resolved.

Acidic drinks

Perhaps the most common cause of erosion these days is the increasing consumption of acidic drinks. This applies to most fizzy drinks but especially sports or energy drinks which are often very high in sugar and acidic ingredients. Regular consumption of these will almost certainly harm your teeth and we recommend that you drink these only occasionally, if at all, and stick to water as this is beneficial to your overall oral health.

How can we restore eroded teeth?

If it is too late and you have already noticed that your teeth are feeling sensitive, even a little, you should contact us to have them examined. There are a number of options available if your tooth enamel is already worn down.

Crowns are one option and are particularly useful if the top of the tooth is worn down, as can happen with bruxism for example. Fillings might also work depending on the severity of any damage that has been done.

Often though, it is the front surface of the teeth which tend to wear down, especially through brushing or acidic damage. There are two ways that we can restore teeth affected in this way. One is through the use of cosmetic bonding which can be applied directly to the tooth  surface, building it up and protecting it. This is effective but can gradually discolour over time and also prove less effective as it ages.

Where enamel erosion is concerned, the most beneficial treatment is likely to be porcelain dental veneers. These are attached to the front of the teeth, following the removal of the damaged natural enamel. Impressions are then taken from which the veneers are produced. These are attached to the prepared teeth using a strong dental adhesive. Providing that you look after your veneer covered teeth, they can last you for approximately ten years and often more, before the veneers need to be replaced.

If you have noticed some discomfort when hot or cold food or drinks meet your teeth, or if you suspect there might be some wearing of your teeth, such as a rough surface, why not contact us now before the discomfort worsens? You can do this by calling The Dental Centre Bedford on 01234 819868 and we’ll be pleased to assist.