The natural processes of the bacteria in your mouth, as well as acidic foods and beverages, can cause a microscopic erosion of the mineral crystals that make up your tooth enamel. Enamel is the hardest material in the body, but it’s not living tissue. If this microscopic enamel erosion is not countered by regular, daily exposure to fluoride it can pose several threats to your oral health.
The microscopic erosion creates tiny channels in the enamel. At first, this can make your teeth more sensitive to hot, cold, sweet and acidic things. Once enamel is lost, cracked or chipped, it can’t be repaired BUT can be made stronger. Over time, this microscopic erosion of enamel can promote tooth decay, chips and fractures. Any one of these problems could compromise the tooth, requiring a crown, root canal or possibly even a total extraction of the tooth.
We will do anything we can to keep your natural teeth strong and healthy, but we need your help. On a day-to-day basis, you have the opportunity to make your oral health a priority. There are choices you can make every day that can make your job easier and in turn you more healthy.
There are things like fluoride treatments to help with these microscopic erosions and the symptoms they cause. We can do a fluoride treatment at the end of your appointment. The regular presence of fluoride in your mouth helps to add back a microscopic amount of minerals to your tooth enamel. This process is known as remineralization. By fortifying tooth enamel with fluoride your teeth will become stronger and your chances of developing tooth decay and sensitivity issues will improve.
What can you do between appointments?
You can do your best to make choices that avoid foods that harm your teeth and oral health. Sugary, starchy and sour foods can easily cause bacteria that weaken your enamel. Choosing more whole foods and healthy snacks on a daily basis is not only good for your nutrition but also your oral health.
Did you know that there are foods that strengthen your enamel? Tooth enamel is made up of similar minerals to bones. Minerals like calcium that contribute to strong bones can help strengthen weakened enamel. High calcium foods neutralize the acid, which causes issues in your enamel.
Drinking enough water daily helps to fight weakening enamel too. When we are hydrated and taking in enough water we boost our saliva production which is how calcium is absorbed by the teeth.
It’s not just are you brushing but even more so how you are brushing that makes all the difference. This is so important that we wrote a blog about the most common brushing mistakes which you can read here. Be sure to wait 30 minutes after eating acidic or sweet foods before brushing, brush at least twice a day, choose a soft-bristle brush, and brush at a 45-degree angle with not TOO much pressure. There is a lot that can go wrong, so make sure what you are doing is right.
Do you grind your teeth? Doing WHATEVER you can to stop this detrimental habit is key to the health and longevity of your teeth. Bruxism or teeth grinding is usually an adaptation to stress. Taking a closer look at what it is you are stressing over and finding ways to manage stress can save your teeth, and other components of your health. If you can’t stop the habit at least get a mouth guard to protect your teeth from the habit. Ask us the next time you are in the office, we may have solutions to suggest.
And of course, don’t miss your regular check-ups. While at your appointment be sure to bring up ANYTHING that is a concern or change to the norm. We are here to support your oral health in any way we can and catching issues early can be the key to saving valuable time, money and most of all your teeth.
If you have questions about dental fluoride treatment, please call us at 817.920.1488 to schedule an appointment. We look forward to seeing you!