Keeping Your Tooth Enamel Strong And Healthy Is More Important Than You Realize
Apr 26, 2018 by apost team
Do you feel confident when you smile? Everyone should feel beautiful in their own skin, but, as it turns out, lots of us aren't! According to this study, one-third of our population doesn't like their own smile!
Although misaligned teeth require a dentist to correct, lots of other unsightly teeth issues can be corrected by changing your oral hygiene routine. Your smile is one of the first things other people notice about you, so to get your perfect smile, you need to learn more about tooth enamel and why it's so important for your confidence.
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Enamel is our main defense as it forms a hard, protective barrier between our teeth and everything we put in our mouths. Tooth enamel is basically our superpower since it's the strongest substance in our bodies- even stronger than bone.
Although enamel is incredibly tough, it's not impervious to damage.
Enamel can chip or crack easily if you're not careful about maintaining oral health. When you eat, food particles can get trapped on the enamel. With time, plaque grows some nasty bacteria that eat away at your enamel by turning the sugar in your food into destructive acids.
Enamel is great at repairing itself with water and fluoride from your toothpaste, but if you don't brush your teeth, that's when painful cavities form.
Nobody wants to deal with cavities, so take these steps to keep your enamel healthy:
- Stay hydrated
- Floss regularly
- Use toothpaste with fluoride
- Limit your intake of sugary foods
If you're a sweet tooth, though, you don't have to swear off sugar forever. Dentists actually report that the number of times you eat sugar impacts your dental health more than the severity of your sugar does. What this means is, it's better to get one bigger fix of sugar than snacking lightly throughout the day because you're causing the pH in your mouth to swing all over the place constantly.
Using harsh toothbrushes or grinding your teeth can also cause enamel damage. If you're worried, talk to your dentist about which tools you should use and what steps you can take to stop grinding.
Although you can't grow new enamel, you can repair it. Don't panic. Just make sure you're cleaning your teeth thoroughly and frequently to avoid serious damage.
If your enamel damage is severe enough to expose your dentin (the tissues that compose the majority of your tooth) you need professional dental correction immediately. Your dentist will likely fix your tooth by giving you a filling or a crown. These measures are expensive and uncomfortable, so do what you can to avoid a trip to the dentist.
You should see your dentist twice a year for cleanings and check-ups, though. If they can catch any weakening early, they can advise you on how to repair your enamel before they have to do it for you.
Do you know anyone who hates going to the dentist? Make sure they know about tooth enamel so they can avoid a costly and uncomfortable visit!
Our content is created to the best of our knowledge, yet it is of general nature and cannot in any way substitute an individual consultation by your doctor. Your health is important to us!