Taking care of your smile should be straightforward and effective. Our O’Fallon dental team has the information that you need in order to make good decisions for your smile day in and day out. Today we will be discussing the importance of your dental enamel, and what you can do to help your dental enamel stay healthy. Let’s get started!
As you probably already know, your dental enamel is the white, non-porous part of your tooth that is visible when you smile. You want to keep your dental enamel strong because your enamel actually protects other, weaker, layers of your tooth underneath.
The primary threats to your dental enamel are oral bacteria and oral acid (either produced by bacteria or from acidic foods and drinks). Your dental enamel can also become compromised due to dental damage. You may experience some kind of accident or trauma that damaged your teeth, or your enamel may become cracked/chipped from long-term pressure and tooth-on-tooth contact.
So when you are trying to maintain healthy dental enamel, try to:
· Rinse your mouth with water after you eat or drink something
· Drink plenty of water to ramp up saliva production
· Use floss, rather than toothpicks, to clean between your teeth
· Look out for the signs of dental grinding, and seek treatment from a dentist if you are grinding your teeth
· Minimize sugary and foods and drinks, as well as substances that contain a lot of acid (think fruit juices, wine, and many berries)
· Seek prompt treatment if you do notice small cracks or chips developing—simple treatments like dental bonding can actually help your existing dental enamel from worsening
Our O’Fallon dental team is here to work with you to develop a strong oral hygiene plan that really works for you. So call our team when you are ready to get started—we look forward to speaking with you!