Enamel can never 'regrow' per se because there are no living cells in the tooth enamel. Your best bet is to treat any existing problems from tooth decay and focus on better oral care and hygiene habits, which will preserve the enamel you have and prevent further deterioration.
Once tooth enamel is damaged, it cannot be brought back. However, weakened enamel can be restored to some degree by improving its mineral content. Although toothpastes and mouthwashes can never “rebuild” teeth, they can contribute to this remineralization process.
It cannot regenerate itself, because it is formed by a layer of cells that are lost after the tooth eruption. Conventional treatment relies on synthetic materials to restore lost enamel that cannot mimic natural enamel.
The remineralization process usually takes about three to four months to take effect. However, once you begin to better fortify your enamel, you may start to see stronger teeth, experience less sensitivity, and even reveal a whiter smile.
However, tooth enamel doesn't contain any living cells. Once your enamel is gone completely (as is the case when you have a cavity), there's nothing you can do to get that enamel back.
Once your enamel is gone, there's no getting it back. Fortunately, it's never too late to start on a good regime of oral health care to keep what enamel you do have healthy, and so it's important to keep up with that routine once you've established it.
As the enamel continues to erode, your teeth might turn a gray or yellowish color. If your teeth change shape, it's a good indicator that you have enamel damage. Your teeth may begin to appear rounded, develop ridges, and often the gaps between teeth will become more substantial.
It could be the result of an acidic diet, medication side reactions or just vigorous brushing. Dry mouth, low salivary flow, diet high in sugar and starches, bruxism and friction, acid reflux disease, gastrointestinal problems and even genetics could also be blamed for enamel erosion.
Our tooth enamel is essential in protecting us against tooth decay and cavities, but it can wear out over time from age and by consuming acidic foods and beverages. Once your tooth enamel is gone, it's gone forever, so it's important to take the right steps now to keep enamel strong for years to come.
Even though enamel is the hardest substance in the human body, it can still become worn and chipped away, a process called enamel erosion. Unlike a broken bone that can heal itself, enamel has no living cells, meaning once the damage is done, it's permanent.
Enamel can repair itself by using minerals from saliva, and fluoride from toothpaste or other sources. But if the tooth decay process continues, more minerals are lost. Over time, the enamel is weakened and destroyed, forming a cavity. A cavity is permanent damage that a dentist has to repair with a filling.
One treatment option is repairing tooth enamel with dental bonding. Dental bonding involves applying a dental resin to the tooth surface to protect damaged areas and restore the intact surface. Enamel damage is usually experienced on the front of your teeth.
What happens if enamel is gone? Tooth enamel erosion exposes the inner layers of your teeth to open air and the foods and drinks you consume. This makes your teeth more vulnerable to cavities. In addition, tooth enamel loss can make your teeth more sensitive to heat, cold and sweets.
As the enamel erodes more, your teeth may appear grayish or yellow. Your teeth may begin to appear rounded, develop ridges, and often the gaps between teeth will become more substantial. Eventually, you may notice cracks in the teeth or experience loss of tooth material.
You could be noticing enamel hypoplasia. This condition is a defect that causes a lesser quantity of enamel than normal. It can appear as a white spot, yellow to brown staining, pits, grooves or even thin, chipped or missing parts of enamel. In severe cases, the enamel doesn't develop at all.
Even though you can't reverse enamel erosion and shouldn't whiten at home to reduce yellowing, you can still change the look of your smile. The dentist can bond a tooth-colored material to the damaged area to create a smooth, pearly white finish.
Symptoms. Symptoms of thin enamel can be a translucent or clear appearance, white spots, tiny grooves or pits, sensitivity to hot or cold food/drink, tooth decay, and cavities.
Sings that Your Enamel Has Eroded or Is Weak
Likewise, if you notice increased sensitivity to warm, hot, chilled or cold, as well as sweet foods, you may be experiencing an early sign of enamel loss. Later stages may feel more severe. In some cases, teeth may feel rough around the edges.
This incredibly hard and resistant outer shell of your teeth helps protect them from decay and infection, preserving the structure of your smile. Although many people are aware that it's the strongest substance in the body, researchers recently learned that with proper maintenance, it can last an entire lifetime.
The dentist is perhaps the most useful asset when working to repair tooth enamel. By visiting the dentist regularly, you are able to repair tooth enamel that has already been damaged to full health and ensure no further damage occurs after the tooth enamel is repaired.
As the bacterial plaque in your mouth produces acid after eating your dietary sugar, that acid slowly eats away at your enamel, taking months or even years to cause the type of damage that requires a filling, crown, and/or root canal therapy from your dentist.
You might see pus around your tooth, and you'll notice your gums pulling away from contact with the tooth. Your gums might swell, and that swelling could extend to your face and neck, too. At this point, your tooth will likely have to be removed.