“Why am I losing enamel on my teeth?”
I am a 44 year old male and I am losing enamel on my teeth. What could be the cause?
5 Answers
Stress often causes daily grinding of the teeth over the years and may cause severe wear of the teeth enamel.
Frequently consuming acidic drinks, soft drinks, sodas, carbonated sweet drinks, drinks that taste sour (suggesting a low pH value), consuming lemon/lime or other acidic food, or self-induced vomiting, bulimia can lead to accelerated wear and tear of the enamel on your teeth.
1. You may be grinding your teeth...bruxism. Often in your sleep, or 2. Frequent exposure to highly acidic drinks, even coffee, orange juice, or soda drinks, or from acid reflux, stomach acids. SILVER DIAMINE FLUORIDE (SDF) IS A GREAT.PREVENTIVE TREATMENT. DO IT EVERY 6 MONTHS...ALSO, IT ARRESTS AND REVERSES TOOTH DECAY.
Teeth grinding or oclussion problems(teeth in wrong position)
There can be numerous reasons you are losing your enamel on your teeth. As we age, a lifetime of chewing and biting starts to wear down the enamel from your teeth and is a natural normal process. If your bite is off this can increase the wear and need to be addressed with orthodontic treatment. You may grind your teeth at night and need a mouth guard to prevent increased wear.
Bacteria called plaque is always forming in your mouth and can cause swelling of the gums, bleeding gums, inflammation of the gums, and even infection to the bone under your gums that destroy the enamel causing periodontal disease.
Our mouths get drier as we age. Saliva helps keep teeth clean and prevent decay. As we age we have less saliva, also many medications cause dry mouth which exacerbates the problem.
Fizzy drinks, citrus fruits, and many juices contain acid that can destroy enamel. Sugary and starchy food also cause our mouth to create acid which also attacks the enamel.
Schedule a regular appointment with your dentist, cleanings can prevent many causes of enamel wear and an exam by your dentist can often catch issues early and prevent other causes of enamel damage in the future.
Bacteria called plaque is always forming in your mouth and can cause swelling of the gums, bleeding gums, inflammation of the gums, and even infection to the bone under your gums that destroy the enamel causing periodontal disease.
Our mouths get drier as we age. Saliva helps keep teeth clean and prevent decay. As we age we have less saliva, also many medications cause dry mouth which exacerbates the problem.
Fizzy drinks, citrus fruits, and many juices contain acid that can destroy enamel. Sugary and starchy food also cause our mouth to create acid which also attacks the enamel.
Schedule a regular appointment with your dentist, cleanings can prevent many causes of enamel wear and an exam by your dentist can often catch issues early and prevent other causes of enamel damage in the future.
