Understanding the Causes of Enamel Erosion

Say hello to enamel, the thin outer covering of your teeth. This tough as nails shell ranks as the hardest tissue in the human body, and provides your teeth the strength and resiliency needed to munch, crunch and chew day after day. Enamel coats the crown of a tooth, the area that’s visible outside of the gums.

Enamel is translucent; you can see light through it. But the main part of the tooth, referred to as dentin, is the part most responsible for your tooth color – be it white, off white, yellowish or grey.

Occasionally beverages like fruit juice, red wine, soda, tea and coffee can stain the color of enamel, making your teeth appear less bright. Fortunately, scheduling regular visits with our doctors at Mountainside Family Dentistry for checkups and cleanings can help remove most surface stains and make sure you teeth and gums stay healthy and strong.

Enamel’s Role

Enamel works to protect your teeth from the daily stresses they experience from grinding, crunching, biting and chewing. While enamel is remarkably strong and resilient, it can crack and chip when weakened or stressed. Enamel also helps to insulate teeth from potentially uncomfortable hot and cold temperatures and irritating chemicals.

Unlike a broken bone that the body can repair, once a tooth becomes chipped or broken, the damage becomes permanent. The body cannot repair damaged enamel because it has no living cells. This makes protecting the health of your teeth’s enamel vitally important to maintaining strong oral health.

Causes of Enamel Erosion

Tooth erosion occurs when acids erode away tooth enamel. Enamel erosion can occur as the result of the following conditions:

·         Drinking soda – which contains high levels of citric and phosphoric acid – on a daily basis

·         Drinking fruit drinks – which are also highly acidic – on a daily basis

·         Low saliva flow or dry mouth

·         Diet high in starches and sugar

·         Acid reflux disease

·         Gastrointestinal problems

·         Medications that cause dry mouth as a side effect

·         Genetics

·         Stress

If you regularly engage in any of these habits or suffer from any of these medical conditions, you may have a higher risk of suffering from enamel erosion.

Environmental Causes of Surface Erosion

Wear and tear, friction, corrosion and stress – or a combination of these effects – can cause erosion to occur to the surface of a tooth. Clinically, these effects can be described as the following conditions:

·         Attrition: A naturally occurring tooth-to-tooth friction that happens when you grind or clench your teeth, attrition generally occurs involuntarily while asleep.

·         Abrasion: A physical wear and tear of the surface of a tooth that occurs as a result of aggressive brushing, incorrect flossing, biting down on hard objects – such as pens, bottle caps or fingernails –, or the use of chewing tobacco.

·         Abfraction: A condition that occurs as a result of stress fractures in the tooth as cracks from bending or flexing of the tooth.

·         Corrosion: A condition that occurs chemically when acidic materials interacts with the surface of a tooth such as with medications like vitamin C tablets or aspirin, foods high in acidity, acid reflux disease and frequent vomiting from alcoholism or bulimia.

Preventing Enamel Loss

To prevent enamel loss and keep your teeth healthy and strong, it’s important that you take the time to properly brush and floss daily. It’s also important that you schedule regular appointments with Alina Bergan D.D.S. to undergo routine checkups and cleanings. You can also cut back on the number of sugary or highly acidic foods and drinks you consume as part of your diet, and make sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day.

By making these small changes to your daily routine and diet, you can greatly reduce your risk of enamel erosion so you continue to smile brightly for years to come. Please call our office today with any questions at (800) 223-0801.