Keeping your teeth healthy is a key factor in your overall health. If you suspect that your enamel is decaying or eroding, you may be worried. Our Amherst dentist can help repair tooth enamel. You can also do several things at home to prevent the erosion of your enamel. Please keep reading to learn more about caring for your tooth enamel.
When you are ready to meet with a skilled dentist in Amherst, please give us a call right away. Dr. Douglas Hamill takes free consultations for new patients.
What Destroys Tooth Enamel?
Tooth enamel is the outer protective layer of your tooth, and it can be damaged in many ways. The most common reasons you need to repair tooth enamel is if you have GERD, morning sickness, or eat enamel-ruining foods.
GERD and morning sickness can cause damage to your teeth due to the acidic nature of your stomach contents. If you have chronic heartburn or have been throwing up a lot, it can coat your teeth in bile which can wear down your enamel.
These foods include beer, citrus fruits, coffee, soda, etc. Any acidic food can harm your tooth enamel.
Please keep reading to learn more about how to repair tooth enamel.
Things to Do to Repair Tooth Enamel
Tooth remineralization can help restore your enamel. There are products you can try and healthy habits you can adopt if you want to help restore your tooth enamel. Please keep reading to learn more.
Let Your Saliva Do Its Job
Your saliva has powerful remineralization properties. To produce more saliva, you can chew sugarless gum. Chewing sugarless gum floods your mouth with healing saliva.
You can also brush your teeth right after eating to get rid of food residue and promote saliva production to let it get in there to repair tooth enamel. It is a low-effort addition to your day with considerable benefits.
Eating foods that are rich in fiber can also promote saliva production.
If you find that you have a dry mouth, your enamel is likely suffering. Make sure you adequately hydrate throughout the day. Keeping a water bottle handy will encourage you to drink more.
Limit Acidic Foods and Beverages
Acidic foods and drinks can destroy your enamel and make it hard for your saliva to repair it. If you do enjoy your morning juice or coffee, it is important to rinse your mouth out so that your teeth are not left coated in an acidic substance.
Also, if you enjoy juice or sugary additions to your coffee, washing your mouth after consuming it can reduce your chances of the sugars coating your teeth and breaking down into enamel-destroying plaque.
Use Enamel Strengthening Toothpaste
Two chemicals found in toothpaste designed to repair tooth enamel are potassium nitrate and sodium fluoride. These chemicals help in tooth remineralization. Swapping out your toothpaste for something that is designed to help strengthen your enamel can be beneficial to your overall oral health.
When to See a Dentist
If you are at all worried about your dental health, please do not hesitate to schedule an appointment with a dentist. You don’t want to wait until you have a problem to get treatment. If you suspect that you need to repair tooth enamel, you likely need to see a dentist.
Feeling your enamel changing can indicate that you need to get treatment.
Of course, if you already do have tooth pain, a visible cavity, etc., you should call us right away to make an appointment to get treated.
When in doubt, make an appointment. It would be much better to be proactive to a concern rather than reactive to a dental health issue.
Call Our Amherst Dentist Today for a Free Consultation
Are you worried about how to repair tooth enamel? Please do not hesitate to contact our Amherst dentist Dr. Douglas Hamill today to set up a free consultation.
We aim to help our patients achieve their oral health goals. Strengthening enamel is something that be achieved with proper care. Seeing a dentist annually is one of the first steps to a healthier smile. Call our office to learn more.
