Although dental cracks and chips are very common among patients of many ages, they aren’t unavoidable. There are certain simple things that you can do to help protect your dental enamel from wear and tear. There are also a number of effective and convenient treatment options to correct existing cracks and chips.
Keep reading to learn more from our Santa Monica dentists…
Your dental enamel is designed to protect the innermost layers of your teeth. Dental enamel is naturally resilient and fairly nonporous, but it is not impervious to damage.
- Bruxism, or chronic dental grinding, will wear down your enamel over time, and make it more likely that you’ll sustain cracks and chips in your enamel. When you grind your teeth, you put enormous pressure on your dental enamel; when this happens over a long period of time your enamel develops micro-cracks or chips, which intensify over time.
- Acidic foods and drinks also thin dental enamel. Coffee, juices, red wine, and citrus fruits all contain potentially problematic acids. The thinner your dental enamel becomes, the more likely it is to crack or chip. Rinse your mouth with water after exposing your enamel to acidic substances in order to minimize changes to your enamel. Also, wait at least 20 to 30 minutes to brush your teeth after consuming something acidic, as your enamel will be softer.
- Of course, dental trauma and accidents can also lead to damaged dental enamel. If you play contact sports or take part in extreme physical activities, you may want to talk to your dental team about whether you should wear a protective mouth guard. If you damage a tooth in an accident, our team can quickly and effectively repair your smile using dental bonding or customized restorations.
Although it’s ideal to avoid damaged enamel altogether, rest assured that if and when problems do occur, our Santa Monica restorative dentists offer the treatments necessary to repair your teeth. Give us a call to learn more and to schedule your personal consultation!