Dental erosion can destroy teeth. It changes their aesthetics by modifying their colors and makes them not smooth. Apart from dental hygiene, our eating habits are also elements that favor this evil. To avoid it and restore the brilliance of your teeth, you must follow a number of rules. Find out more here.
Here is a guide to learn more about dental erosion and unsmooth teeth.
Dental erosion: What is it?
Dental erosion is an oral disease characterized by the loss of tooth enamel caused by acid attacks. Tooth enamel is the hard layer of the tooth that protects the sensitive dentin underneath. When it is worn away, the dentin is exposed, which leads to pain and hypersensitivity.
Does dental erosion make teeth not smooth?
Dental erosion is the loss of enamel which is a layer that protects the teeth. It is a phenomenon that affects both men and women as they get older. Nearly 20% of French people suffer from dental erosion. It is a disease that is not visible very quickly. People with non-white, thin and more rounded teeth may notice small cracks.
This is how the teeth become less smooth, sensitive to cold, sweet and hot. During brushing, you may feel pain. Teeth can become transparent on the edge in severe cases.
What causes dental erosion?
Several factors can cause tooth erosion. For example, brushing your teeth very hard could weaken the enamel. Secondly, the foods you eat can cause tooth demineralization. The consumption of foods with a PH lower than 5.5 progressively attacks the enamel of the teeth.
Soft drinks, wines, fruits and sugars are also included. Indeed, saliva plays a role of protection against the acidity of certain products. However, excessive consumption of these products followed by poor oral hygiene makes them dangerous. Even foods that are supposed to bring you good health also have an impact if they are consumed excessively. At this point, saliva can no longer play its role.
How to detect a loss of tooth enamel?
When you have no more enamel, you may notice a change in your teeth. They start by turning yellow. The color is an excellent indicator of the thickness of your enamel. Teeth become more yellow when there is a decrease in enamel. Enamel loss can also be recognized by the shape of the teeth.
They may appear rounder or shorter than normal. Fractures or cracks also develop when the teeth lose a lot of enamel. Teeth become very sensitive to certain types of food. Over time, you may have a lot of difficulty while chewing. This phenomenon is at the origin of the brittleness of the teeth and favors the installation of plaques and residues. Thus, the loss of enamel can be detected by the appearance of a tooth decay in the teeth.
How to have smooth teeth?
An accumulation of bacteria causes gum disease and makes the teeth not smooth. To remove plaque, regular brushing is necessary. For an effective result and to have smooth teeth, you must perform a scaling and polishing. This is a cleaning that you must do at your dentist. The very first thing to do is to remove plaque and tartar deposits by scraping.
To do this job, the dentist will remove most of the tartar with ultrasound. Next, he or she will polish the teeth so that the enamel is smooth again. After polishing, your teeth become smooth, stain-free and shiny. The small defects and rough parts of the teeth are also smoothed. It is an operation that is added to your oral routine and should not replace brushing your teeth. It should be done at a frequency indicated by your dentist.
How to fight against worn teeth ?
Dental hygiene is essential to keep your teeth in good condition. Thus, you must brush your teeth at least twice a day. Brushing should be regular and for at least two minutes. It is important to adopt very good brushing gestures. You must use dental floss to make the brushing result effective and to reach all areas. To protect tooth enamel, you should avoid using harsh toothpastes. Toothpastes containing fluoride are recommended for strengthening the enamel.
You should also choose an electric or conventional toothbrush that will not weaken your teeth. You should also see a dentist at least once a year. It is important to space the time between meals and brushing your teeth. You risk weakening your teeth by automatically brushing after a meal since saliva does not have time to play its role.
For example, you can opt for the Y-Brush toothbrush. It is a sonic toothbrush that has different vibration modes to choose from depending on your dental sensitivity.
How tooth enamel restoration works in cases of dental erosion
Tooth erosion is considered irreversible. In fact, the only solution for eroded teeth is to restore them by placing a crown or dental veneers made of composite material. The appearance of the restoration will depend on the teeth affected: prosthetic crowns for molars or premolars, veneers for front teeth. If the dentin is affected and the teeth have become painful, the dentist will have to devitalize the tooth in order to reduce tooth sensitivity.
We hope that this guide has helped you understand what dental erosion is and what makes teeth not smooth. We hope that you have also understood that the causes of tooth erosion are very strongly linked to your eating habits. The symptom related to the color of your teeth is the most visible. You will now know how to have smooth teeth and fight against worn teeth which is a good thing. Restoration of the tooth enamel is a necessary step to solve this problem.
