Dental decay affects more than 9 out of 10 Canadians at some time in their lives. As a result, tooth decay is the most common oral health condition in Canada, if not the entire world. However, the good thing is that tooth decay can be avoided. The enamel, the incredibly hard substance that covers and protects the teeth, is largely responsible for this.
This does not, however, imply that the enamel is impervious to injury. Enamel loss can still happen, and it can happen faster if you eat and drink the incorrect things.
What Is Tooth Enamel?
The enamel is the tooth’s thin outer layer. The toughest substance in the body is this strong coating. The crown of the tooth, which is exposed outside of the gums, is protected in enamel.
Light can pass through enamel because it is transparent. The dentin, however, is the main section of the tooth that determines the colour of your teeth, whether white, off-white, gray, or yellowish.
Caffeine, tea, soda, alcohol, fruit juices, and tobacco can discolour your teeth’s enamel. Routine cleaning and polishing appointments with your dentist can help remove most surface stains and keep your teeth healthy.
Enamel protects your teeth from eating, biting, crunching, and grinding on a daily basis. Even though enamel is a tough barrier between teeth and the outside world, it can chip and crack. Enamel also acts as a barrier between the teeth and potentially uncomfortable temperatures and chemicals. This is known as tooth sensitivity because they can get through gaps in your enamel to the nerves within, you may notice that you react more to hot or cold foods, drinks, and sweets as it erodes.
Unlike a fractured bone, which will heal, if a tooth chips or breaks, the damage is permanent. The body cannot heal chipped or fractured enamel because it lacks live cells.
What Causes Enamel to Wear Out?
- Poor Dental Hygiene
Around 700 bacterial species live in the mouth cavity. The majority of these microbes are innocuous or benign, while some promote digestion. Some even aid in the prevention of disorders of the gums and teeth.
Others, on the other hand, are the leading cause of dental conditions. These are all the bacteria that feast on the sugars left over from your food and beverages. These bacteria create acids on the teeth as they ingest and break down these carbohydrates.
When these acids come into contact with saliva and other bacteria in your mouth, they form plaque. Plaque is a soft, sticky, and transparent coating that accumulates on and in between teeth surfaces. Once plaque hardens and calcifies, it is called tartar. Tartar sticks to your teeth and can only be removed by professional equipment used by dentists.
Plaque is made up of millions of germs that eat away at the enamel of the teeth. The enamel will eventually wear away and deteriorate as a result of repeated attacks. The problem is that undisturbed teeth can develop noticeable plaque in as little as 12 hours.
For this reason, you should brush and floss your teeth regularly. Otherwise, the nasty bacteria in your mouth will have plenty of opportunities to eat away at your tooth enamel.
- Drinking Too Much Alcohol
Saliva neutralizes bacterial acids, which helps to minimize enamel erosion and tooth loss. They also help to prevent plaque-causing bacteria from multiplying and expanding.
However, the alcohol and acidity in alcoholic beverages limit saliva production. Your mouth would become a paradise for hazardous bacteria if you do not have enough saliva. The longer chronic mouth dryness persists, the greater the risk of enamel loss and decay to your teeth.
This is why people who suffer from alcoholism have greater plaque levels. These individuals are also 3 times more likely to lose their teeth permanently.
- Consuming Food Rich in Citric Acid
Orange and apple juices, as nutritious as they are, contain high concentrations of citric acid, which can degrade the enamel over time. The citric acid in these beverages could be 5 times more acidic than citric acid in some sodas. Furthermore, these acids might cause the formation of white spots on your teeth.
You do not have to eliminate them entirely from your meals, but if you ever do drink them, make sure to rinse your mouth thoroughly afterward. This will aid in the removal of some of the acids they have left behind.
What Steps Can You Take to Prevent Enamel Loss?
Remember that since enamel does not contain live cells, enamel lost cannot be recovered. This is why it is necessary to take care of your teeth before problems get worse.
- Brush regularly
Brushing your teeth regularly ensures that plaque does not build up on your teeth. As plaque aids in the wearing away of the enamel, it is necessary to make sure you get rid of built-up plaque and to prevent them from building up in the first place.
Additionally, do not forget to floss. Flossing can help loosen debris lodged between the spaces of your teeth that are too narrow to be reached by the bristles of your brush.
- Drink water
Drinking water is a simple way of washing away the sugars that attract bacteria that can build up in your mouth. If you are unable to brush after eating something sugary, water can greatly help wash away debris and sugars in the meantime.
- Visit your dentist regularly
Visiting your dentist regularly will allow them to examine your overall oral health and advise you on the steps you need to take to prevent tooth decay.
Remember that as you age, your oral health needs will change. The oral health routine your dentist advised you to do years ago might not be applicable or might need slight changes today. The only way you will know is to visit your dentist.
If you are looking for a trusted dental health facility, turn to Springdale Dental Centre. You may call us at 905-458-1212 or send us an email at in**@sp**************.com to schedule an appointment.
