Tooth enamel, the outer coating of your teeth, is the hardest natural substance found in the human body. But it is hardly invincible. Just as time and water can flatten a mountain, all sorts of things can wear away and even destroy your tooth enamel. Knowing this, how do you go about making sure your tooth enamel stays healthy and intact? While the task is not that challenging, it does require a lot of discipline. Here are a few “do’s” and “don’ts” for you to think about:
Do: Be disciplined about your dental health. Brush twice a day; floss at least once a day. If you keep the surfaces of your teeth clean, your enamel will face fewer threats.
Don’t: Overeat foods that are too sugary or acidic. In small quantities, these foods won’t be too harmful. But when eaten to excess, they can damage your teeth. Extra sticky foods that get stuck between your teeth, such as popcorn and gummy bears, can become breeding grounds for bacteria that will erode your enamel over time if they aren’t removed.
Do: Tell us if you have an urge to clench your teeth or any aches and pains you may feel in your teeth, jaw and head, especially if they are causing you sleeping problems. You might be grinding your teeth at night. Tooth grinding will eat away at your tooth enamel, shrinking your teeth and causing additional problems such as poor sleep and headaches. We can help protect you from this by fitting you for a night guard.
Don’t: Eat foods that are too hard. Again, just because tooth enamel is the hardest element in your body doesn’t mean it’s unbreakable. Biting into rock candy or ice cubes might be delightfully crunchy, but it can cause direct damage to your teeth.
Do: Visit us on a regular basis. There is only so much you can do at home. A regular dental cleaning in our office is more thorough than anything you can do at home. And we can detect threats to the health of your tooth enamel before it wears away. Regular visits to our office safeguard your tooth enamel, stopping destruction before it starts.
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