You’ll hear all the time about how you need to protect your tooth enamel. Of course, not many will explain exactly what tooth enamel is. When you’re looking for a dentist near me in Mill Creek, you’ll want to talk to them about protecting your teeth, and it starts with the basics.
Understanding what tooth enamel is will help you care for your teeth better. Here’s what you need to know.
The Protective Layer Over Your Pulp
Think of tooth enamel a little like an eggshell. It’s harder than the shell itself, but it does the same job. It protects what’s inside the shell. You can talk to a dentist near me in Mill Creek about the layers under the enamel to see what it is protecting.
Underneath is a softer dentin and then you get to the pulp, which is the heart of the tooth. The pulp is where the nerves and blood supply are. If you damage the enamel, you make it easy for damage to occur to the inside of your tooth.
Tooth Enamel Contains Minerals
Around 96% of your tooth enamel is minerals. This means your tooth enamel has the most minerals within its setup compared to anywhere else in the body. That’s impressive considering how small your teeth are compared to other parts of the body!
The main mineral is a calcium phosphate called hydroxyapatite. The minerals will help to keep the harder shell around the tooth, protecting from the food and drinks you consume. However, the minerals are worn away due to everyday use and eating specific foods, which a good dentist near me in Mill Creek will explain about. This is a whole different blog post!
Your Teeth Will Lose and Gain Minerals
You don’t get a set of minerals for your teeth and that’s it. The tooth enamel will lose some of the minerals over time, but those minerals can and usually are replaced. It’s a natural process, through the types of foods and drinks consumed.
Carbs and sugars lead to the production of bacteria in the form of acid in the mouth. The acid eats away at the enamel, causing demineralization. Our saliva is important to reduce this as it contains phosphate and calcium to neutralize the acids.
The minerals in the saliva will help to repair the damage. Adding fluoride to your daily routine will also help to improve the remineralization process.
Tooth Enamel Isn’t White!
A lot of people think that the teeth should be white. After all, isn’t that what you see all the celebrities having? The truth is that tooth enamel isn’t naturally white. It has an off0white color because it’s actually see-through a little. It shows the color of the dentin underneath!
The enamel can also be easily stained through smoking and the drinks you consume. It’s important to clean regularly, and you need to go to your regular scheduled cleaning.
When you’re looking for a new dentist near me in Mill Creek, you’ll want to ask questions to help you look after your teeth more. The more you understand about tooth enamel, the more you can protect it.
