When it comes to oral care, maintenance is the key for your wellbeing. Like everything else, your tooth also needs that extra care to stay fit.
In this article we are going to reveal how to strengthen tooth enamel to keep your molars strong and healthy for the long run.
But before that, we must first know what is Tooth Enamel is!
What is Tooth Enamel & Why is it Important?
Enamel is one of the four key components that make up the outer part of your tooth.It’s the hard, outer surface layer of your teeth that serves to protect against tooth decay.It being one of the hardest biological elements in nature, adds up to its characteristic as a building block for your tooth and acts as a protective shield.
In fact, tooth enamel is the hardest mineral substance in your body, even stronger than your bones.
However, not even the strongest is immune to everything. Tooth enamel holds a significant vulnerability against some crucial elements. The more concerning fact is that, these elements are such that they are consumed by us frequently and regularly for a long time.
This results in frequent encounters with your tooth and thus causes gradual damage to its enamel.Despite its strengths, everyday acids that develop from certain foods and drinks; particularly those that are sweet or contain starch, can put your enamel at high risk of damage.
Elements Responsible for Weakening Tooth Enamel
Bisphenol A (BPA)
A microscopic plastic material which is used as a coating in everyday consumer goods such as plastic cans, paper receipts, eyeglasses, etc. A concrete conclusion is yet to be reached about BPA having a direct influence on enamel loss.
However, it can be said with certainty that current findings do show significant relation of BPA affecting hormones.
Bacteria and Acids
Formation of plaque can cause abundance of bacteria in your tooth. While the presence of bacteria solely is not completely responsible for vigorous enamel erosion, the combination of bacteria with various categories of acids can turn out to be destructive.
Bacteria when in touch with sugar causes fermentation. This releases lactic acid which gradually contributes to demineralization.
Inappropriate Care or Negligence in Oral Care
Did you know even brushing can harm your tooth? It might sound surprising but it’s true. Brushing too hard can result in the wearing out of the tooth body due to abrasion.
Apart from firm brushing, inadequate flossing and cleaning techniques can also harm your tooth. The intensity of movement and operating the thread in the wrong area are some of the key reasons of enamel damage caused by flossing, brushing, etc.
Consequences of Certain Foods and Drinks Consumption
Your diet is another culprit that contributes against the strength of your tooth enamel.
As mentioned earlier, bacteria in tag with certain acids can cause severe dental damage. One of the main sources of bacteria and acids is the foods and drinks you consume regularly.
Acids discharged by popular choices like soft drinks and fruit juices are directly responsible for enamel damage. At times, such acids can be more vigorous and harmful than the acid present in batteries.
Now that you know about the possible causes of tooth enamel weakening, it’s time you get to know about the symptoms in case your tooth has already fallen prone to the offenders mentioned above.
Warning Signs of Tooth Enamel Erosion
It helps to get to know about the potential dangers as early as possible.
When your tooth enamel starts to get damaged, you will come across some common symptoms. These are indicators of your tooth being vulnerable and help you to decide if you should visit the dentist or not.
Infection
Where there are bacteria at lose, there will be infection.
Dental infection causes a layer of fluid to form between the surface of your teeth and gum. It consists of a dirty mixture of liquor with dead blood cell, tissue and of course, bacteria.
Holes
Your teeth will form tiny holes over time gradually, due to the consistent enamel erosion. These are normally invisible, but you can assume they are there when you feel toothache and difficulties when chewing or biting.
Ache
Toothache is one of the most severe pains you can feel in your body!
It’s one of those panicky moments when you feel you’ll do anything to get to a dentist as soon as possible. A major reason for toothache is tooth decay which as you may have guessed by now is due to enamel loss.
Difficulties in Chewing or Biting
Have you ever felt something is pressing against your tooth at its base? Did you experience this while biting something or chewing on something tough?
If you have felt an extra pressure working against your teeth while biting or chewing, then your tooth is possibly weakened already. At times this feels like a harsh tickle or gentle itch inside your gums.
Consider having an appointment with your dentist if you encounter these symptoms. In the first place though, you should try to keep cavities at bay. Having strong enamel presence is the most appropriate option to fight cavity.
A few tips and tricks about how to strengthen tooth enamel is what you need to know now. Prevention is better than cure, as they say it.
Here’s what you’ve been waiting for!
How To Strengthen Tooth Enamel
Proper oral care needs an integrated approach.
If you think only brushing will help you fight enamel loss, then you are doing it wrong.
A systematic way of taking care of your mouth, having a safe diet, visiting the dentist regularly are the fundamental activities which can definitely boost your enamel strength.
Proper Oral Care
You have a set of tasks which you must carry out on a regular basis.This is like running daily errands.Do it frequently& do it every day!
The Right Tools
Ever wondered why manufacturers bother in having so many variations of the same product?
This is because one size does not fit all in each and every instance.
You and your body are different from everyone else’s. As a result, the bodily requirements and adaptability also varies from one person to the other. When we narrow this down to toothbrush and paste, you know it makes sense now.
Get a brush with soft bristles. Having a brush with hard bristles can cause your enamel to be eroded. Soft bristles will run comfortably on your tooth without exerting too much pressure on the surface.
Use fluoride-based products to complement your brushing. According to the most reliable dental associations of the world, fluoride is categorized as a guardian angel against cavity. In this case, you should opt for toothpaste and mouthwash which are rich with fluoride.
Lastly, floss your teeth. It’s surprising how many of us miss out on this simple but helpful activity. It might look like a daunting task to run a piece of thread in between your teeth but when you get used to it, the benefits are worth all the extra effort.
The Right Ways
As you’ve read earlier, even brushing can harm your tooth, if done incorrectly. This is inevitable when you have a habit of rushing with the bristle through your gums. Not only does this style of brushing add little to your cleansing, it harms you more by imposing hard rubs on the tooth surface.
Soft bristles need to be accompanied with a slow and gentle style. With an easy pace, go up and down; round and round. You know it, you just have to do it!
A similar case can made about flossing as well. Intense flossing can result in bleeding gums and toothache. Instead, floss gently up and down in between teeth. Floss reaches sneaky areas of your mouth which are otherwise difficult to clean with the brush.
A bit of hard work here will let you reap the benefits in the long run.
The Right Habits
Do not rub your teeth against each other. You are likely to clench or grind your teeth when your agitated or panicked. Some even have a habit of doing this for no reason at all.
Remember, anything that touches your tooth surface with pressure can contribute to enamel loss. This goes right for the act of nail biting as well.
Clean your tongue! This is a simple task, but we leave it. Studies have shown most of the bacteria in your mouth dwell on your tongue. You are leaving the majority of the lot untouched if you only brush your teeth without cleaning your tongue.
A straw can be a tooth savior. If you are to drink fruit juices or carbonated beverage you better use a straw to avoid direct contact of the drink with your teeth. This of course will not give you complete conservation from direct contact but it’s better than direct sipping.
Use a mouthwash! This is like a war. The more weapons you have in your arsenal, the better you can fight the enemy. The mouthwash is an added armor in your inventory that will help destroy bacteria better. We recommend you use the alcohol-free ones as alcohol is one of the elements that contributes towards corrosion of your tooth.
Safe Diet
We actually mean a healthy diet!
As you’ve got to know already, acids are like power-ups for the bacteria in your mouth. The more the presence of acids, the more dangerous the bacteria become.
- Phosphoric acid is commercially used by heavy industries to strip down steel to raw metal form. Imagine having it applied on your tooth.
- Avoid food which are rich in starch and sugar. These are carbohydrates and act as feeding material for bacteria.
What you can take out from this is popular food choices like soft drinks, fruit juices etc. are to be consumed carefully. These items contain citric, phosphoric and carbonic acids; all of which are the usual suspects against enamel.
Visit the Dentist When It Is Time
Even if you are not facing the symptoms we have mentioned in this article, consider visiting your dentist approximately twice a year. You will only harm yourself and have only yourself to blame if things go from bad to worse because you were reluctant to see the dentist just one more in the same year.
Be brave and do not get away from dental appointments because you are too scared of the dentist.
These routine checkups might sound like a waste of money but remember you are avoiding further damage down the road by being in touch with an expert.
In case you have already damaged your tooth to an extent, your dentist can always fix things up for you. A few sessions of cleaning and polishing by the dentist can prevent further damage and keep you moving.
Conclusion – Smiling It Off!
You’ve learnt a little something about proper oral care today. Put your learning to work and consider cross checking to see if you have everything going right with your teeth.
Don’t put your complete oral care at a lower priority by assuming that you cannot afford it! Most of the things you can do to take better care of your gums, teeth and your overall mouth does not come at an extra cost, but just a few extra cautionary steps.
The right tooth cleansing process, a healthy diet and being under supervision of a dentist are the key factors which will ensure that your tooth enamel is strong. Keep those bacteria at bay and enjoy flaunting a clean, bright healthy smile.
A beautiful smile can light up the hearts!
Related Article: Best Toothpaste for Enamel: Our Top 10 Picks
