Tooth Enamel Erosion and Restoration

The thin, mineralized, translucent covering over the visible part of your tooth is called enamel. The enamel’s primary function is to protect the interior of your tooth from damage during the daily wear and tear of chewing, biting, crunching and grinding. Although it’s one of the toughest tissues in the human body, it can deteriorate or be worn away.

Your saliva helps provide the necessary minerals, like calcium, to help your enamel re-mineralize. In certain cases, your saliva can’t keep up, and in the presence of an acidic environment, de-mineralization can cause tooth enamel erosion. If left untreated, tooth enamel loss can lead to the permanent loss of the tooth itself. Your Brooklyn family dentist offers services to reverse enamel erosion.

Causes of Tooth Enamel Erosion

Your cosmetic dentist in Brooklyn begins tooth enamel restoration once he’s determined the cause. Several factors can contribute to tooth enamel loss, such as:

• Excessive soft drink consumption. Carbonated drinks encourage a high-acidity in your mouth.
• Consumption of citrus fruit and juices. The acidity in many fruit drinks is as potent as battery acid to your teeth.
• Dry mouth or low saliva flow, either due to illness or certain medications. Low saliva reduces the amount of available calcium for re-mineralization.
• A diet high in starch and sugar. Such a diet encourages acid production in your mouth.
• Acid reflux disease, also called GERD. This and other gastrointestinal problems increase the acid levels in your mouth.
• Corrosion due to certain medications such as aspirin, antihistamines and vitamin C tablets.
• A genetic predisposition to weak tooth enamel.
• Pregnancy, morning sickness, alcoholism and eating disorders. Any condition that involves regular vomiting can cause tooth enamel erosion.
• Tooth-to-tooth friction, such as what results from bruxism or grinding your teeth.
• Abrasion or the wear-and-tear that occurs from brushing your teeth too hard, improper flossing or biting hard objects such as fingernails, ice or hard candies.
• Stress fracture of the tooth due to injury.

Signs of Tooth Enamel Loss

Tooth enamel erosion can lead to cavities and eventual tooth loss. When you find signs of erosion, get the proper treatment to keep your dental health at its best. Symptoms of erosion include:

• Sensitivity to sweets or very hot or cold foods
• Discoloration of your teeth — when the enamel thins, the underlying dentin is revealed, which causes a yellowing effect
• Cracks and chips along the edges of your teeth, causing them to become rough or irregular
• Cupping or indentations on a tooth’s surface
• Greater susceptibility to cavities and tooth decay
• Rounder or shorter teeth than those unaffected by enamel erosion
• Pulp exposure, which can lead to pulpitis

Treatment for Tooth Enamel Restoration

The earlier you begin treatment, the better the chance you have to reverse enamel erosion. You and your Brooklyn family dentist must first determine what underlying factors are causing your tooth enamel loss and try to correct those conditions. Next, your dentist may recommend:

• A method to introduce a non-acidic environment in your mouth, so the natural re-mineralization process can restore your enamel using the calcium present in your saliva and fluoride found in toothpaste
• Fluoride treatments and de-sensitizing toothpastes if there are no bothersome symptoms
• Dental bonding to protect your teeth from further erosion and decay, and to improve appearance
• Covering the tooth with either a crown or quality dental veneers for further protection, especially if abrasion by external factors was involved

Prevention for Tooth Enamel Restoration

While many treatments are effective in combating uncomfortable or unsightly symptoms, prevention is your best option to protect your dental health and reverse enamel erosion. Prevention habits include:

• Brushing at least twice a day, especially right before bedtime
• Flossing twice a day or whenever you notice food particles between your teeth
• Using a fluoride mouthwash daily
• Getting regular checkups with your Brooklyn general dentist
• Eliminating high acidic foods, such as carbonated drinks, citrus fruits and fruit juices
• Rinsing your mouth after eating or drinking
• Using a straw when drinking to send liquid to the back of your mouth, away from your teeth
• Avoiding snacking between meals unless you brush immediately afterward
• Drinking milk or eating cheese after a meal to counter any acidic residue
• Chewing sugar-free gum with xylitol after meals to boost saliva production
• Drinking lots of water, especially if you suffer from low saliva or dry mouth
• Using a fluoride toothpaste to strengthen your teeth
• Asking your dentist about sealants

Prevention is always the best measure, but since your Brooklyn family dentist also has experience in cosmetic dentistry, he creates options for tooth enamel restoration that promotes your best dental health and a pleasant appearance.

Do you have any questions about the Enamel Erosion and Tooth Enamel Restoration procedure in Brooklyn? Would you like to schedule an appointment with the best rated Brooklyn cosmetic dentist Khabensky DDS of Family Cosmetic & Implants Dentistry of Brooklyn? Please contact our dental clinic for consultation with the dentists Alex and Igor Khabensky DDS.

Before & After GALLERY