Tooth Enamel Erosion: What You Should Know

Enamel is the outer covering on your pearly whites and the hardest tissue in our bodies. The outer shell protects our dentition from physical or chemical damage. The food we eat and bodily fluids can harm our teeth, and enamel is the first defense against such substances. Due to this, our tooth’s lacquer is prone to wear and tear, referred to as enamel erosion.

When this outer hard coating is eroded, you will experience tooth sensitivity and stains, and your tooth has an increased risk of decay, cavities, infection in or around the teeth, dental chips, and cracks. You can not regrow this coating, but you can take preventive measures to prevent further enamel erosion through proper dental care.

Let us understand a bit more about what role our tooth’s outer coating plays in our dental hygiene, what can cause enamel erosions, and some of the treatment options for enamel atrophy.

Tooth Enamel Importance

We chew, bite, crunch, and grind our teeth throughout the day, and the hard coating on our dentitions protects against all these activities.

• Your tooth’s hard top coating also insulates it from the extreme temperatures of food you eat and the harsh chemicals in it.
• Though enamel is hard, it is prone to chips and cracks. Unlike bones in our bodies which can be repaired, loss of enamel is irreversible since enamels do not have living cells, and our bodies can not repair them

Symptoms That Your Teeth Outer Coating is Eroding

You can make out your enamel is eroding by hollows in your teeth and wearing away the tooth’s surface and edges.

• When the outer coating wears away, it will expose the dentin inside and make your dentitions appear yellower and darker in color.
• Since the exposed dentin is more sensitive, you can also experience teeth sensitivity towards hot, cold, or acidic foods and drinks.
• Cracks and chips might appear in your dentitions.
• There are cups or indentations on your tooth’s surface.
• If the enamel erosion is excessive, you could also develop pain in your teeth, tooth decay, teeth becoming clear or translucent, and fractured teeth.

Causes Of Enamel Erosion

The primary reason for attrition of your tooth’s hard outer shell is the acids present in foods or liquids you consume. Saliva in our mouth acts as a neutralizer for these acids and protects our teeth. But if you are eating too many acidic foods and not brushing properly, your enamel will degrade over time. Let us look in detail at some of the salient causes of enamel erosion:

• Acidic and sugary foods or beverages – We know that acidic or sugary foods can slowly eat away the outer hard shell of our teeth. So, by eliminating such foods and drinks, you can avoid enamel erosion to a large extent. It is recommended not to sip on fruit juices or sodas for prolonged periods of time or snack on sugary foods and allow such food and drinks to sit on your teeth. It is essential to drink water and rinse your mouth with water whenever you have sugary or acidic snacks or drinks.
• Dry mouth – Saliva has many roles in our mouth, and one of them is to break down the food we eat for better digestion. Saliva also neutralizes the acidic byproduct of bacteria, i.e., plaque. If our bodies do not produce adequate amounts of saliva, it can lead to higher acidic levels, which can damage our enamel. 
• GERD or Acid Reflux – Chronic acid reflux causes harmful stomach acids to travel back up to our mouths and erode the teeth lacquer. Those who suffer from GERD will typically experience the weakening of teeth in the back of the mouth first.
• Prescription or OTC medicines – Certain medications like allergy medicines or even aspirin can reduce saliva production in our mouths which could cause dry mouth and all the complications associated with it.
• Genetics – Some people have a naturally thinner outer coating on their teeth, which can cause dental wear and tear.
• Teeth grinding and clenching – Some of us suffer from bruxism which is unconscious grinding and clenching of teeth. Due to pressure on the biting surface of teeth, dental wear can occur.
• Poor nutrition – If you lack essential nutrients in your diet, you will not be able to maintain healthy cells, which are vital for our teeth. Some eating disorders like bulimia or anorexia could also cause wear and tear of teeth’ outer hard shells.

How to Treat And Prevent Enamel Erosion

The primary suggestion any dentist would give you would be to have excellent oral hygiene as a preventive measure for any dental problems, along with regular dental checkups. But despite everything, if your teeth are experiencing wear and tear, some of the restorative options include:

• Tooth-colored fillings.
• Dental bonding.
• Roots canal therapy.
• Dental crowns.
• Tooth replacement options.

Summing 

Our teeth’s enamel is one of the most crucial parts of our overall oral health, and if you see any signs of erosion of this outer coating, please contact your dentist, who can suggest appropriate treatments.