A bright and beautiful smile plays a key role in your life. A great smile can transform how you look. Having strong teeth is just as important as a healthy smile. But don’t despair, if your pearly whites aren’t as radiant as you’d like them to be. White teeth may appear healthy, but weak enamel can still wreck havoc for your oral health.
Tooth Enamel is a protective, slightly translucent outer layer of the teeth, and it gets thinner as people age. It’s the hardest substance in the human body, even stronger than bone. In spite of its strength, once damaged it cannot re-grow or regenerate, so it’s really important to protect the enamel for retaining a healthy white smile.
Enamel acts as the first line of defense against tooth decay. Tooth enamel takes a lot of abuse from the acids formed by cavity-causing bacteria. Mostly, enamel damage is caused by acidic corrosion. Acid erosion is responsible for the loss of the precious tooth enamel, exposing the yellower dentine layer, making the teeth appear yellow and dull.
Fermentable carbohydrates, found in breakfast cereals, breads, soft drinks, candy, cookies, and other starchy foods form harmful and dangerous acids on your teeth. When combined with bacteria, those acids start to break down the enamel and demineralize the enamel over time. This, “demineralization,” literally eats away the minerals, naturally produced in your enamel.
Saliva plays a key role in keeping teeth healthy and strong. Not only it increases the health of the body tissues, but it also protects enamel by coating the teeth in protective calcium and other minerals. It maintains the pH levels in your mouth, which also reduce acid production.
Keeping your teeth healthy will help keep your tooth enamel strong. By being proactive, you will be able to enjoy your teeth for your entire life. Apart from visiting your dentist regularly, the following tips will help keep your enamel healthy:
While these changes don’t come overnight, they are certainly worth the time and effort, both for the sake of your smile and your overall health.
Dr Teena and the Rouse Hill Smiles team are dedicated to providing patients of all ages with the highest quality of care.
