Tooth enamel repair may not seem like a pressing issue—but if your teeth are more sensitive to hot or cold, or you’re experiencing an increased number 韓国ホワイトニング
of chips and cracks, it might be time to see your dental professional. Luckily, while the body can’t regrow broken 韓国ホワイトニング skin or hair, it can help restore tooth enamel that has become weakened.
Preventing Tooth Decay
The outer layer of your teeth is comprised of tough, resilient enamel. The hardest substance in the body, it protects your tooth’s nerve fibers, shields them from hot and cold temperatures and keeps out bacteria and sugary substances that cause decay.
But when this insulating layer is eroded, you can become more sensitive to temperature extremes, experience pain when chewing or brushing and see a discoloration of the tooth. It can also leave your tooth vulnerable to cavities, which are a hole that penetrates the hard enamel into the main body of the tooth and causes infection. Even small cavities can lead to tooth loss and if left untreated, they could develop into painful abscesses.
Tooth enamel can be repaired in the very early stages of deterioration through treatments like fluoride, mouthwashes and prescription toothpaste that stimulate the natural process of remineralization. Other helpful techniques to reduce the risk of erosion include avoiding acidic foods and drinking through a straw, and waiting at least an hour to brush after eating or sipping acidic drinks.
Once your enamel has been damaged, however, it cannot grow back. Worn, chipped or eroded enamel leaves your teeth more susceptible to tooth decay, which means that you’ll need fillings or, in severe cases, crowns. But with regular visits to the dentist, you can help prevent these issues from developing 韓国ホワイトニング and keep your teeth healthy for life.
Brushing & Flossing
Tooth enamel is a tough, outer shell that protects the tooth crown (the part that’s visible above your gum line) from cavities and other damage. This protective substance is made of ultra-hard crystallites that are bonded together with calcium and phosphorus. The enamel also has a translucent quality that makes teeth look white. It’s the hardest substance in the human body, but it can be damaged by abrasion and erosion. Abrasion happens when something rubs against your teeth, such as brushing with a hard-bristled toothbrush or poking your teeth with a toothpick. Erosion is when the enamel breaks down due to too much exposure to acids from certain foods and drinks, or from bacteria in the mouth.
Both brushing and flossing are essential for a healthy mouth. The goal of both is to remove the bacterial film called plaque, which erodes the tooth enamel over time and causes cavities and gum disease. The difference between the two is that brushing removes plaque from the front and back surfaces of your teeth, while flossing gets the hard to reach spaces between your teeth and under your gum line.
Make sure to brush for two minutes twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste, and don’t scrub or apply too much pressure when you’re cleaning your teeth. You should also floss at least once a day before brushing and use a non-abrasive floss.
Avoiding Acidic Foods & Drinks
The biggest cause of tooth enamel erosion is acidic foods and drinks – especially soda, fruit juices and tomato products. These acidic substances wear away at the teeth’s enamel, exposing the much softer dentin and making your teeth more sensitive to hot or cold. The good news is that early enamel damage can be repaired with fluoride treatments.
The ph level of any substance can be measured, with anything below seven considered acidic and above it alkaline. Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, dairy and whole grains can help your saliva maintain the proper ph balance.
Brushing your teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste and flossing will also keep acids and bacteria from wearing away at the enamel, but the most important step to repairing and strengthening enamel is avoiding foods and beverages high in acid. If you must eat acidic foods, drink them through a straw so that the liquid touches as few teeth as possible. Chewing sugar-free gum containing xylitol or other remineralizing agents can also help.
After eating or drinking something acidic, wait an hour before you brush – this gives your saliva time to wash away the acids and help remineralize enamel. Rinsing your mouth with water or chewing a piece of cheese may help too, since these calcium-rich foods can help neutralize acid and reduce enamel erosion.
See Your Dentist Regularly
If you are concerned about the state of your teeth, it is important to visit your dentist regularly. Although brushing and flossing twice a day are the most effective daily prevention methods, your dentist will be able to help you with more specific and tailored advice. They will be able to advise you about the best mouthwash for your needs and can help you make sure that you are using the correct techniques when brushing and flossing.
Regular dental visits can also catch problems early on, reducing the chances of more serious issues developing. In addition, studies show that good oral health is linked to a number of other general health conditions, so it’s certainly worth taking the time to keep up your dental routine.
Even though enamel is one of the strongest substances in your body, it can still become chipped or damaged. However, unlike a broken bone that can repair itself, tooth enamel does not have living cells, so once it chips or breaks it’s gone forever. However, there are a number of treatments available that can help to repair minor damage or protect your teeth if they have been affected by enamel erosion. These include dental bonding, which involves applying a tooth-colored resin to a damaged tooth to strengthen it. Porcelain veneers or dental crowns are also recommended in more severe cases and work by covering a whole tooth and providing protection.