Protect Your Enamel

However, one area of our body, especially in the mouth (speaking as a dentist), that does not heal itself is tooth enamel. Enamel is the hardest substance in our body. It constitutes the outer layers of our teeth not only giving the strength but also providing a sparkling pearly look. Fortunately, our body is able to remineralize (reharden) enamel from a very minor degree of loss. However if significant amount of enamel gets lost, the amount of enamel lost will not come back. It is gone completely. So does the strength of teeth and the aesthetic appearance. So what are the main causes of enamel loss? To simplify there are two categories. First is mechanical loss and second is chemical loss. This week, we will talk about one of the mechanical causes of enamel loss: tooth paste.

Did you know many toothpastes sold over the counter have a high level of abrasiveness? This abrasiveness actually gives us the “clean” feel after we brush our teeth. However too much of this will cause significant wear on enamel. When we recommend tooth pastes, we tell our patients to look out for this abrasive nature of some toothpaste. First, avoid whitening toothpastes. These tend to have the highest level of abrasiveness. Second look for RDA value of each tooth paste. RDA refers to the roughness of the toothpastes and is not normally listed in the packaging. You have to actually call the company. Thankfully I have found a study that compiles this and posted in our office website and Facebook.

Next time we will discuss the chemical causes of enamel loss.