Cosmetic Dentistry Blog

In this blog post, we’re going to talk about tooth enamel. We’re going to explain what enamel is, its importance, the causes of erosion,  and enamel repair options. 
 
First off,  just what exactly is  tooth enamel?  Enamel is the thin outer covering of the tooth.  You might be surprised that this tough shell is the hardest tissue in the human body. Enamel covers the visible part of the tooth professionally referred to as the “crown”.  Because enamel is translucent, you can see light through it. But the main body of the tooth, the dentin, is the part that’s responsible for your tooth color - whether white, off white, gray, or yellowish. Sometimes coffee, tea, cola, red wine, fruit juices, and cigarettes stain the enamel on your teeth. Regular visits to your dentist for routine cleaning and polishing can help remove most surface stains and make sure your teeth stay healthy. Keeping your enamel in good condition and protecting the dentin.
 
So as you can probably tell from the above paragraph, enamel is important to your oral health. Enamel helps protect your teeth from daily use such as chewing, biting, crunching, and grinding. Although enamel is a hard protector of teeth, it can chip and crack. Enamel also insulates the teeth from potentially painful temperatures and chemicals. Unlike a broken bone that can be repaired by the body, once a tooth chips or breaks, the damage is done forever. This is due to the fact that enamel has no living cells, so the body cannot repair chipped or cracked enamel.
 
Tooth erosion happens when acids wear away the enamel on teeth. There are many factors that can contribute to enamel erosion. So we’ll just break it down into a short list for you folks:
 

• Excessive soft drink consumption
• Fruit drinks. Some are actually more erosive than battery acid!
• Dry mouth or low salivary flow
• Diet (high in sugar and starches)
• Acid reflux disease
• Gastrointestinal problems
• Medications
• Genetics

Modern dentistry offers many solutions to enamel decay.  The two most common treatments for enamel damage is bonding (for slight and partial damage)  up to totally covering the tooth with a crown.  The dental crown is used to treat a significantly vulnerable tooth against further decay. Of course we can’t cover every conceivable condition and treatment option in this single blog post, but we do want you to capture an understanding of the more commonly used treatments for enamel damage.  Contact us today to set up an appointment if you suspect that you have enamel problems. Again, chipped teeth and heavily stained teeth can be strong indicators.

We encourage you to look through Dream Smile Dental's website because we are happy to provide a wealth of dental health and consumer educational services.  We welcome your questions and look forward to hearing from you.

Comparing dental crowns and porcelain veneers

There are characteristics associated with both porcelain veneers and dental crowns that, in general, make one or the other more suitable for certain situations. Here are some of the factors we take into consideration when determining which type of dental restoration would be the more ideal choice for your situation. Keep in mind not all cases or situations are ideal and one solution maybe the only viable choice.

Dental Crowns:

• Can be used to produce significant color and shape changes for a tooth.
• Are often used to rebuild teeth that are badly broken or decayed.
• Are very strong. Dental crowns are a good choice in those situations where the tooth is subject to significant chewing and biting forces or else tooth clenching and grinding.
• Require a significant amount of tooth reduction when made.
• Once a crown has been made for a tooth the tooth will always require a dental crown.

• Can be used to produce significant color and minor shape changes for a tooth.
• Are placed on teeth whose underlying tooth structure is generally healthy and intact.
• Are strong but brittle. Porcelain veneers typically do best in those situations where the occlusal forces they are subject to are somewhat passive.
• Typically require much less tooth reduction than dental crowns.
• For all practical purposes, once a porcelain veneer has been made for a tooth, the tooth will always require a veneering of some type, although this could be another porcelain veneer, possibly another form of tooth veneering, or else the tooth could be further reduced and a dental crown placed.