Tooth Erosion: Causes and Prevention

DENTAL ISSUES

Enamel is the foremost defense for the teeth against myriads of varied chemicals they're exposed to solely from food and bodily fluids. Subsequently, it can be prone to wear and tear giving rise to enamel erosion, which can cause symptoms like tooth stains and sensitivity.

How will you know if there is dental erosion?

Over time, enamel erosion can lead to complications, such as pain, high sensitivity in the teeth when exposed to cold, hot, acidic and spicy food and drink. It can also lead to discoloration in the teeth making them yellow, stained, overly sensitive with rough edges and shiny spots on the teeth.

What causes tooth erosion?

Every time a person eats or drinks anything acidic, the enamel on the teeth becomes softer momentarily, and loses some of its mineral content. The saliva then will slowly cancel out this acidity in the mouth and regain its natural balance. Bulimia is a condition where sufferers make themselves sick so that they lose weight but there are abundant levels of acid in the vomit causing damage to tooth enamel. The stomach contains several strong acids that are used to digest food. Vomiting and reflux can lead these stomach acids to enter the mouth and cause substantial damage to the teeth. Diet can cause dental erosion as many things that we eat and drink are acidic. Common foods and drinks that contain high levels of acid include: soft drinks (including sugar-free ones), energy drinks, citrus fruits (lemons, limes, oranges), lemon-flavoured drinks or teas, vitamin C tablets, vinegar, alcoholic drinks and substantially more.

How to Prevent Dental Erosion?

With constant check-ups and advice from your dentist, one can prevent the issues pertaining to dental erosion getting any worse. If a tooth does need treatment, it is highly crucial to safeguard the enamel and the dentine underneath to control sensitivity.

Dental erosion can be prevented by lessening the touch of acids with the teeth. Here are some suggestions:

Consume a healthy, well-balanced diet.

Drink plenty of water rather than soft drink or juice.

Eat fruits instead of drinking fruit juice.

Limit how often you eat or drink anything acidic and don't leave it inside the mouth for too long.

Seek medical treatment for management of nausea.

Do not chew vitamin C tablets.

Rinse your mouth with water or a fluoride mouth rinse

Consume dairy products.

Saliva is a powerful natural defense against erosion as it has the potential to wash acids out of the mouth into the stomach, can neutralise acid, as well as can repair the early stages of erosion. Nevertheless, it doesn't grow back the lost tooth surface. A minimized flow of saliva (dry mouth) can increase the risk of dental erosion. Staying well hydrated improves saliva since dehydration can reduce the amount of saliva an individual produces.

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