What causes tooth enamel erosion?
You won’t believe if I say your tooth enamel is the strongest tissue in our body. They are very stronger than bones and even harder than steel. Enamel is a very hard outer layer of your teeth that protects your teeth from damage or decay.
Even though they are harder, it can be broken and leads to enamel erosion. They lead to various dental problems. Here are some reasons for enamel erosion.
Acidic foods
Do you know acidic foods put your teeth enamel at risk? Yes, fruits like orange, lemon, strawberry, and grapes, etc., are healthy to your body, but they will erode your enamel. This is why they should be eaten along with water to minimize the damage level. These foods are not the only product that harms your teeth, products like pickle, ketchup, coffee, wine, etc., also wear away your enamel and stains your teeth. These foods should not be consumed regularly.
GERD (Gastro-Esophageal reflex disease)
There will be a pipe that connects your mouth with the stomach called Esophagus. When GERD occurs, the stomach acid flows back and reach the mouth. They too wear down your enamel leading to enamel erosion.
Xerostomia
The saliva in your mouth removes food debris and bacteria in your mouth and prevent from decay. They also neutralize the acids in your mouth and protect from enamel damage. When there is a lack of saliva secretion, dryness in the mouth occurs leading to enamel erosion. Several factors like smoking, diabetes, HIV, chemotherapy, etc., are responsible for this dryness in the mouth.
Poor dental habits
Your saliva is responsible for constantly neutralizing the acid in the mouth. But if you eat more acidic foods and fail to brush your teeth twice and floss, your outer layer of the teeth will be weakened over time. You should brush after an hour if you eat something sugary or acidic.
Eating disorder
Some people suffer from fear of getting overweight and avoid eating proper food, and this eating disorder is called anorexia. Due to this, they lack nutrition. This lack of nutrition may lead to enamel erosion. Bulimia is another eating disorder where people eat more amount of food in a small amount of time. Then they attempt to get rid of the consumed food out by vomiting to lose their weight. When they do this often, the acidity in vomit damages your tooth enamel and erode it.
Bruxism
Bruxism or teeth grinding is another problem which occurs mainly due to anxiety or stress. Occasional teeth grinding is normal, and it won’t make any problem. Regular teeth grinding should be noticeable and must be treated. When they left untreated, the enamel will be removed slowly, leading to enamel wear, and a chip, or crack in the tooth.
Health disorders
Some health disorders are also associated with these enamel erosion.
There are some symptoms that help you know your enamel is eroding:
1) Sensitivity in tooth
2) Pain and discomfort
3) Tooth discoloration (yellowish teeth)
4) A chip or crack in the tooth
5) Translucent or shiny teeth
If you notice these symptoms, consult a dentist to get the problem fixed earlier. There are some preventive measures also to prevent enamel erosion. They are:
1) Avoiding or minimizing certain foods from your diet.
2) Following proper dental hygiene routine.
3) Wearing a mouthguard if you have bruxism.
4) Dental bonding treatment.
5) Crowns or veneers treatment.
Follow these preventive measures to avoid various teeth problems in the future. If you found any of the symptoms matching you, consult a dentist immediately.
