Enamel is the outer covering of teeth and the hardest and strongest tissue in the human body. This material consists of calcium phosphate crystals and covers the tooth’s crown.
Enamel is a resilient barrier to protect teeth against decay and erosion.The enamel is transparent and allows light to pass through.
Whether the color of your teeth is white, cream, gray, or yellow, it is related to dentin, which is under the strong enamel coating.Despite tooth enamel’s high strength, some factors, foods, and drinks, cause damage and erosion of this tissue or its staining.
As a top Ancaster dentist describes, since tooth enamel does not have living cells, it cannot be regenerated if damaged. It would help if you saw a dentist to repair damaged tooth enamel.
Failure to pay attention to tooth enamel care or failure to treat damaged enamel causes the entire tooth to decay and puts your entire mouth and teeth health at risk.
Types of Damage to Tooth Enamel
Tooth enamel protects the teeth from daily habits such as biting, chewing, and grinding, as well as inappropriate temperatures and chemicals.
Despite the high resistance and strength of the enamel, this part of the tooth may break with cracks for various reasons.
Unlike broken or cracked bone, damaged tooth enamel cannot repair itself. Therefore, when a tooth is broken or cracked, it must be repaired and treated.
Types of damage to tooth enamel can include the following two:
Tooth enamel wear:
Abrasion is caused by something rubbing against the tooth that damages the enamel. Among the causes of tooth enamel wear, we can mention improper brushing, tooth scraping with a toothpick, and tooth scraping when removing partial dentures.
Erosion of tooth enamel:
Erosion occurs when tooth enamel is exposed to acidic foods and drinks or stomach acid. Also, toxins and acid from dental plaque bacteria around the gum line cause tooth enamel erosion.
Symptoms of Tooth Enamel Damage
The loss and damage of tooth enamel are not always visible, but some symptoms can indicate the possibility of damage to tooth enamel.
- Change in tooth color:If your tooth has changed color to yellow or dark or looks particularly shiny, the enamel of that tooth is probably weakened and damaged.
- Vitrification: sometimes, the tooth gets a state on its edges, which is called glass, and it indicates damage to the tooth enamel.
- Foods:The increase in sweet foods, hot and cold foods, and drinks indicates tooth enamel degradation. The more damage to the tooth enamel, the more severe the pain.
- Fractures or cracks:If the edges of your teeth are slightly broken or rough and irregular, the initial stages of tooth enamel loss may have occurred. The dented surface of the tooth can also indicate damage to the tooth enamel.
Effective Factors in the Destruction of Tooth Enamel
Damage and destruction of the tooth enamel causes the protection of the tooth enamel to decrease and the tooth to be exposed to various injuries and complications.
As a result, you will have to undergo treatment for your teeth. Among the most important factors affecting the destruction of tooth enamel, the following can be mentioned:
- Dry mouth or low amount of saliva (xerostomia)
- Digestive system problems
- Frequent vomiting
- Taking some medications such as aspirin and antihistamines
- Gastric acid reflux disease (GERD)
- Genetic and hereditary problems
- Excessive consumption of sweet soft drinks containing high amounts of phosphoric acid and citric acid
- A diet high in sugar and starch
- Acidic juices and drinks such as citrus juice and carbonated soft drinks
- Environmental factors and injuries due to abrasion, friction, wear, stress, corrosion, and breakage
