Are you asking can your tooth enamel grow back?
You may have heard the rumor that certain toothpaste and oral health products can restore lost tooth enamel. It’s false information. No one can replace lost tooth enamel.
What is Tooth Enamel?
Enamel is a substance which forms a layer over the outer surface of teeth. It protects the inner tissues from damage and disease. Residual food particles can feed acid-producing bacteria in the mouth. Acid can corrode the enamel coating on your teeth, leading to cavities and decay.
As an acid eats your tooth enamel away, your teeth can appear yellow. Enamel is translucent, and a yellow substance called “dentin” becomes visible as the enamel layer gets thinner. If the enamel becomes too thin to protect your teeth, they will rot away.
Does lost tooth enamel grow back? Can it regenerate?
Can You Rebuild Tooth Enamel?
Your body can’t replace tooth enamel, like skin or fingernails for example, because the enamel is not living tissue.
Mineralization
But you can reinforce existing enamel by a process called “mineralization“.
That’s why dentists recommend using fluoride toothpaste. Fluoride counteracts the effects of oral acids. Acids remove phosphates and calcium, the main components of enamel, from the teeth. But fluoride binds the minerals in the saliva and deposits them back on the teeth.
Plastification
If your teeth are very decayed due to extreme loss of enamel, your dentist may offer you an intervention known as “plastification”. It’s not ideal and many dentists won’t do it, but it remains the only remedial option available at the moment.
The procedure involves covering your teeth in a thin layer of modified hydroxyapatite as a substitute for your natural enamel. It is not a permanent solution and may be expensive.
Protect Tooth Enamel
With no reliable way to restore lost enamel, prevention is your best policy.
If you have any doubt about the condition of your teeth or gums, see a dentist as soon as possible. Practicing good dental hygiene is the best way to preserve the tooth enamel you already have and guard against tooth decay and gum disease.
Brush your teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, use an antiseptic mouthwash to kill unwanted bacteria, and floss between the gaps to keep your teeth and gums healthy and strong.
Keeping your mouth clean between meals isn’t the only aspect of good oral hygiene.
The other is to stop eating refined sugars and acidic foods. That means avoiding candy, cake, pre-packaged and processed food, fast food, and sugar or sweeteners in your hot drinks such as coffee and tea.
Replace and Regrow Tooth Enamel Naturally
While dental scientists are working hard to find a way to replace lost tooth enamel, it may be many more years before they discover a practical and affordable solution.
It’s better to look after your teeth well before you experience problems. It’s never too late to start, and a visit to your dentist is the best first step.
Visit Your Dentist
You should arrange a recurring appointment with your dentist at least once every six months and more often if you can. Your dentist will examine each tooth for early signs of decay and check your gums, too, for symptoms of gum disease.
They will also clean and polish your teeth, clean out and fill any existing cavities, and recommend best health practices for you going forward.
Are you looking for a dentist? If you are in the tri-state area and are looking for a dentist in NJ, Contact Suburban Essex Dental.
The office is located in West Orange, NJ, Suburban Essex County.
With its amazing staff and top-of-the-line dentistry, it has been rated “Top Dentist” in the New Jersey Monthly for the past 7 years and is still running. Contact Suburban Essex Dental to schedule your appointment today.
